A Match of Two Souls
by TsukiyoTenshi
Summary: No one knew who was responsible for helping the Magic Knights. But when they did, Caldina had an idea. A marvelously devious, absolutely wonderful idea! Poor Lantis never saw her coming, neither did Kagome, for that matter... New Chapter: 'The Clash of Worlds'
1. Prologue: Her Choice

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

' _The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 _ **PLEASE**_ **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER! Seriously, read it!**

AN: Before anyone gets all annoyed at me for not updating my Digimon/InuYasha Crossover or just posting this while I've got that going on or even for some other reason, I DO have a good reason for not updating in a while.

I'd already stated that I wouldn't be able to update regularly like I'd have wanted because I've got a massive course-load from university. If that's not enough, I also have my job and other familial duties that now fall to me. But besides that, I'm sure anyone that's following my Digimon Frontier/InuYasha Crossover is wondering just why I'm writing this right now and not updating that story, right?

The answer is simple: I'm annoyed and I need to get myself together. You see, I'd already had a good number of chapters ready to be edited and that's not including the numerous other FanFic ideas that I'd started up but wouldn't be posting until later on. Now, I wasn't home when this happened, but one of the younger kids, my niece or nephew, I think (I'm losing track of who came when, and believe me, that's a very common occurrence when you'd got a giant family that just seems to be growing by the year) managed to get to my laptop, which my brother had borrowed at the time, and did something to it. I'm not entirely sure exactly what was done, but it was done and more than half of the stuff I had in images, videos, and documents were gone. I've been spending most of my free time just attempting to get all the documents (some of which were FanFiction ideas that I'd started up) rewritten from memory.

If that's not bad enough, karma seems to have it out for me because my dad needed to borrow my laptop because our desktop was being repaired and the next thing I know, he crashes it. So now again, I've been writing and rewriting as much as I possibly can.

Okay, so this story is going to take place a few years after the time when Kagome's fully done with her Feudal Fairytale Adventures, but this time, unlike how in the manga and anime, she won't be going back to the Feudal Era because the portal in the well would have been sealed for good. As for the MKR portion, as cute as it is to see Lantis and Hikaru together, Hikaru actually gets together with Eagle, barring the fact that he's in a conscious-comatose state. Oh, and while I loved the anime, I took a larger liking for the manga, so while I'll be taking details from the anime here and there, it'll be the manga I'll most likely be borrowing details from the most.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all! I will say that it might sound a bit awkward in the first few chapters or so because I'm just getting back into writing full chapters after not being able to do so for a long while.

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Prologue: Her Choice-Oo**

Kagome sighed as she stared up at the Goshinboku. _'Has it only been two years?'_

A little over two years had passed since the conclusion of Kagome's time in the Sengoku Jidai. The Bone Eater's Well no longer had any magic after the Shikon no Tama out of existence for good, its purpose fulfilled.

"I wish I knew what happened to everyone," the raven-haired girl whispered to the tree that withstood even time itself.

For months, after the well had been closed off, Kagome had searched and searched for even the slightest trace of Yōki in her time. But the harder she looked, the more discouraged she became. Either Yōkai had become exceptionally good at hiding from her senses or, as much as she loathed to admit, perhaps they simply didn't survive to her time.

And now, she was leaving the very place where her adventures had begun.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Kagome?" Higurashi Satomi asked her daughter, the apprehension in her eyes clear as day. "You know you can come with us; you don't have to do this…"

Kagome turned to her mother and gave her a soft melancholic smile. "Okaa-san, you know I would love to go with you…"

"But?" the older woman prompted, knowing there was more.

" _But_ ," Kagome conceded, "There's just too much here I don't want to leave. I know you think that after everything with the Tama and the Sengoku Jidai that it'll be better to get away from all this. But Tokyo is my home and Tokyo is where I'll stay."

"But Kagome—" Satomi tried pleading with her daughter once more. How could any mother agree with leaving her child like this? Even if it was what they wanted?

"But nothing, Okaa-san," Kagome held up her hand to halt her mother, "I want to stay here and you know that you need to go, for Jii-chan."

Higurashi Kaoru's health had taken a slight turn for the worse within the last few months. The doctor had said that the stress of caring for the shrine was starting to take its toll on the elder man. He advised that it would be best for Kaoru's health if he were someplace not so populated as Tokyo; someplace that was least likely to cause any stress.

It was why Kagome's mother and brother were moving to Ise where their mother's sister and her family lived.

It was also why Kagome's mother was worried.

Kagome would not be going with them. She'd chosen to stay with her cousins in Minato as opposed to going with the rest of her family. The Shrine belonged to their family, so selling it wasn't a concern as caretakers could be hired to look after the shrine.

"I've already talked to Sato-niisan and he was perfectly fine with it," Kagome assured her mother. "He sounded pretty happy that I'd be coming, actually, now that I think about it. Ma-kun and Keru-kun sounded pretty hyped, too."

Satomi gave a teary giggle. "I wouldn't be surprised! Those three love you just as much as they do Hikaru-chan!"

"I'm looking forward to seeing Kakeru-kun and Ma-kun go into 'Guard-Dog-Mode' as Sato-niisan calls it!" Kagome laughed.

A light breeze floated around them as their laughter died down. Kagome looked up at the Goshinboku with a little smile, "I think Goshinboku's saying goodbye…"

Satomi looked up at the large tree with a similar expression. "It wouldn't surprise me. It has been here to watch generations of our family grow, so to see us leaving…"

"Goshinboku is special," Kagome whispered. "It has a power I can't describe, I can feel it everytime I touch it. But I have a good feeling…It'll be here for many more years, watching over our family, watching the world as it changes…"

Satomi said nothing as she pulled her daughter close, watching the tall, majestic tree.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	2. She's Coming Here?

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

-Ages-

Satoru: 25

Masaru: 19

Kakeru, Kagome: 17

Hikaru, Umi, Fuu: 14

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER! Seriously, read it!**

AN: This chapter turned out longer than the first, much to my surprise, but I suppose it turned out well enough in the end. Anyway, I'm going to point out again that my writing is going sound pretty awkward since I'm just getting back into writing full chapters, so please don't mind it very much!

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-She's Coming Here?! -Oo**

"Tadaima!" a young girl of fourteen called out cheerfully as she toed off her outdoor shoes and traded them in for a pair of slippers.

"Okaeri, Hikaru," a tall russet-haired man greeted the teen. Dark chocolate eyes softened at the sight of the bubbly scarlet-haired girl who greeted him with a bright smile. "Satoru-niisama, Tadaima!"

 **"Okaeri Hikaru!"** a pair of voices sounded off in tandem before the thudding of feet rapidly approached the fourteen-year old.

Before Hikaru knew what had hit her, she was caught up in a tight embrace between her other two older brothers, Shidou Masaru and Shidou Kakeru. Both borther shared the same chocolate eyes as the eldest Shidou, though only the latter of the two had aurburn hair as opposed to the russet shade the other two males had.

"Tadaima, Masaru-niisan, Kakeru-niisan!" Hikaru laughed.

"How was school today?" Satoru asked once everyone was inside and all the greetings were through.

"Great!" Hikaru chirped.

"Oh!" She perked up, remembering something. The scarlet-haired girl rummaged through her bag and brought out a piece of paper. "This is a permission form for a field trip to Tokyo Tower in two weeks! Please can I go?" She pleaded as she handed the slip to her eldest brother.

(AN: Not really what the normal procedure is for field trips in Japan and no matter where I looked, whatever information they had was about the types of field trips and why those kind of places rather than the process…)

"Tokyo Tower, huh?" Masaru looked at the form. "Not a very original idea for a field trip…I wonder how came up with _that_ idea?"

"But it's safe!" Kakeru pointed out. "She'll be with the rest of her classmates and since it's an all girls school she'll be perfectly fine!"

"Except that guys are always lurking around there!" Masaru muttered in shock. "Tokyo Tower's open to the public so those dogs could get in no problem and get our cute little Hikaru!"

Kakeru looked stricken at the thought.

Shaking his head amusingly at his younger brothers' antics, Satoru gave a nod to his sister. "You can go, Hikaru."

"Arigato, Satoru-niisama!" Hikaru pounced and wrapped her arms around her eldest brother's waist. If you looked closely, you could swear a pair of cat ears were twitching wildly on her head a long feline-like tail wagged cheerfully behind her.

The teen let go of her brother and trotted of happily to her room to get her homework done, her long scarlet braid dancing along after her.

 ** _~AMatchofTwoSouls~_**

"Tadaima, Hikari!" Hikaru called out as she slid open the shoji door at the back of her room that lead into the backyard.

The ginger and white Shikoku's ear pricked when he heard his mistress' voice. He got up and ran towards her, greeting her with a flurry licks to her face. "I missed you, too, Hikari!"

Hikaru giggled, rubbing her dog's head gently, "I have to go and get my homework done now, so be good and don't cause any trouble, okay?" ruby eyes looked sternly at the dog.

Hikari sat straight and gave a short bark.

"I mean it, Hikari," Hikaru told her dog, "be good and I'll give you a treat after dinner tonight!"

Hikari only barked once more as the scarlet-haired girl padded into her room.

 ** _~AMatchofTwoSouls~_**

"Hikaru, dinner's ready!" Kakeru called out as he set the last of the dishes on the table.

"Coming!" Hikaru called back, finishing the last of her essay. Once the last few words were etched onto her paper, she quickly left her room for the dining area where her brothers waited for her.

"Wow!" ruby eyes sparkled as she gazed at the dish before her. "Sukiyaki! Did something good happen today?" Hikaru eyed her brothers suspiciously.

"No special occasion, Hikaru. I just thought it might be nice to have something other than fish tonight," Masaru grinned.

"It looks great!" the teen smiled at her older brother.

"Itadakimasu!" the Shidou siblings said before picking up their bowls and chopsticks.

"Oh," Satoru said after swallowing his tofu, "I forgot to tell you three, Kagome is coming to stay with us."

"Kagome-neechan?" Hikaru perked up.

"Kagome?" Masaru and Kakeru chorused.

"When?" Kakeru quickly asked his brother.

"Why?" Masaru inquired.

"She should be arriving on either Friday or Saturday," Satoru answered. "Unless something comes up, the lastest she'll be here is Sunday afternoon."

"And what do you mean 'why'?" Kakeru eyed the middle Shidou brother. "Don't you like Kagome?"

"I don't mean it like that, baka!" Masaru shot back. "I mean, did something happen to make her move here?"

"Ojii-chan isn't doing too well," the russet-haired man answered, "She decided that getting away from Tokyo would be best for him, but Kagome didn't want to leave. So when she called to ask, I told her it wouldn't be any trouble for her to stay with us."

"That makes sense at least," Kakeru nodded. "Poor Ojii-chan, though… Do they know what's wrong with him?"

"It's nothing dangerous," Satoru assured the youngest Shidou male. "Obasan told me that it's only stress; they're moving to Ise so he's not around so much activity. He's not getting very much younger, no matter how much he may act like it." The russet-haired man thought back to the elder man's borderline-senile-like antics.

"Yay!" Hikaru jumped up from her seat, having finished her dinner as her brother spoke. "I can't wait for Kagome-neechan to get here! I have to go tell Hikari!"

The eldest Shidou watched Hikaru run out of the room, a small smile on his face.

"There was another reason, wasn't there?" Masaru asked after a few moments. "Why you said yes to Kagome coming here? I know we all love her just as much as we do Hikaru, but that's not all there was to it, right?"

Satoru nodded with a sigh. "I did it for Hikaru; she's getting older, we can't deny that. An all-girl's school only gives her an education, it can't substitute for a female's influence in her life. We won't always be able to help her."

Masaru and Kakeru looked at one another, their faces solemn. Paternal figures were always a sore spot for the Shidou siblings, though Hikaru bore it with a smile.

Their mother, Shidou Mayumi died just days after giving birth to Hikaru; complications from the pregnancy and delivery made it next to impossible for her to recover. Although their father, Shidou Hayato, had never gotten over the death of his wife, he managed to pull himself together to raise his children and run the family Kendo Dojo.

Unfortunately, the little realm of peace they had wasn't to last. Little Hikaru, who'd only been five years old at the time, had defeated their father in the very art he'd been teaching and practicing for years.

His defeat by way of a young girl that had only begun nursery school a few days before, his own daughter no less, left him shaken. Hayato packed his things and left within a fortnight of his loss. With no letter, no call, not even a word of goodbye or reason why, the family and the dojo were left in Satoru's care.

But at the time, they weren't legally allowed to live on their own and so they were sent to live with Kagome's family at the Nichibotsu-jinja. Having just lost her husband only a few months prior, Satomi was grateful for the distraction the Shidou siblings provided.

But despite Satomi's presence, Hikaru had bonded almost immediately to Kagome. It had baffled everyone how much the youngest Shidou took to the ravenette, but they couldn't complain. Not when they could see how happy it made Hikaru.

That had been nine years ago and not a word had been heard from Shidou Hayato since.

"As far as I'm concerned, Kagome is the closest thing to a mother Hikaru has," the eldest brother told his siblings, "It would be good for her to have Kagome here."

 ** _~AMatchofTwoSouls~_**

"Guess what, Hikari?" Hikaru burst into her room where the canine had been dozing. "Kagome-neechan's coming to live with us! Isn't that great?"

Hikari barked excitedly in response.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	3. She's Here!

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER! Seriously, read it!**

AN: Hm, it seems like the chapters are just getting a little longer with each one I write… Not sure if that's a good thing or not…

Now, I know I have some anonymous reviewers and while I'm glad they're reading I'd just like to ask that any anonymous reviewers just take some creative liberties when it comes to the penname bit. If they have an account, then questions would be much simpler to answer through PMs, since I feel that answers should be given to those who asked and those answers would be for their eyes only. I rarely answer anonymous reviews through the chapters of Author's Notes unless it can't be helped.

If they don't have accounts, then maybe a creative name to set yourselves apart from each other? It doesn't even need to be a complicated one! Anything but the 'Guest' penname that seems to be growing in the usage trend! I have no clue where it started in the first place, but I'll admit that it's an annoying trend at that… I like to see creativity, but that trend just seems like a quick do-and-done thing where little to no creativity is exercised, probably because a penname seems to be a trivial thing?

Anyway, it's just a suggestion and the rants of an overworked student that's more than ready for Thanksgiving break to come about anytime soon. So don't think much of it!

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-She's Here!-Oo**

"Ne, Hikaru-chan," Koizumi Chiyo commented, brushing a strand of her chestnut hair back from her face, "You seem a lot more hyper than usual!"

"Yeah," Akiyama Izumi nodded, her cropped caramel hair bobbing with the gesture, "What's up?"

The three girls were having lunch in the classroom today when they noticed their enthusiastic scarlet-haired friend even more excited than usual. She'd practically been bouncing in her seat the whole day through thus far!

"My cousin's coming to live with me!" Hikaru burst out, eyes practically glowing with excitement.

"Cousin?" the girls chorused.

"That's what you're so excited about?" Izumi sighed. "I can't _stand_ my cousins and you're excited about yours _living_ with you?"

"Kagome-neechan is the most beautiful and nicest person I know!" Hikaru told her friends. "She's in her third year of high school so I know she'll be busy, but she always makes time to have a fun! She says that life's too short to miss out on the little things."

"High school girl?" Chiyo squealed in excitement. "So did anyone take her out yet?"

"'Take her out'?" Hikaru parroted with a confused tilt of her head. "But why would anyone want to hurt my Neechan?"

"Hu- _Hurt_? Who said anything about her getting hurt?" Now Chiyo was confused. How could Hikaru get _that_ out of what she said?

"But you just asked if anyone took her out?" Hikaru pointed out. "Neechan can fight pretty well, so she can't be hurt much, but why would you ask if anyone hurt her yet?"

 _Chiyo's_ head was beginning to hurt from trying to understand the thought process of her ever oblivious friend.

The caramel-haired girl pondered the situation, which was actually becoming quite funny, she had to admit. But she couldn't understand how Hikaru managed to draw such radical conclusions from a–Unless… a light-bulb went off in Izumi's head as she realized where the confusion was coming from. "Wait, I know what's going on!"

The other two girls turned to the chestnut-haired girl questioningly. "Huh?"

"Hikaru-chan, when Chiyo-chan asked if anyone took your cousin out, she meant out on a date!" Izumi explained. "Like with a boyfriend! She didn't mean if anyone actually hurt her!"

"Wait, _what_?" Chiyo asked. "I thought you knew what I meant; I didn't think you'd take it a whole different way!"

"Sorry," Hikaru rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I thought you meant if anyone defeated Neechan, so I got confused." She then remembered what Izumi had just explained. "Oh, dates? Um, I'm not so sure about that. I know that Neechan doesn't have a boyfriend, though!"

"So is it okay if we come and meet her?" Chiyo asked.

"Probably not today," Hikaru said apologetically. "Neechan's not coming home until a little later tonight. Maybe we could all go out tomorrow or the day after?"

"It's a date!" Chiyo and Izumi winked with a giggle.

* * *

"Hikaru, calm down, she'll be here soon," Satoru said calmly as he sat at the low table with his brothers, sipping at a cup of tea.

The girl in question was rushing around making sure everything was, at least in her eyes, perfect. Her excitement was practically visible as they could see her bouncing off the walls. Kakeru and Masaru could only chuckle at their younger sister's antics.

"But I can't!" Hikaru moaned. "What if she doesn't like the way I decorated her room? I've got to go and redo it right now, before she gets here!" The scarlet-haired girl made to run off towards said room when she was grabbed around the waist and pulled into her second eldest brother's lap. "Masaru-niisan!"

"Maa maa, Hikaru," Masaru said calmly, with a hint of amusement. "Calm down like Satoru-niisan says; Kagome'll be here soon. You already went on a cleaning frenzy, so I'm pretty sure the house is squeaky clean!"

"And Kagome'll like however you decorated her room, so don't worry so much!" Kakeru grinned. Their sister had been so adamant that she be the one to decorate Kagome's room that she hadn't let anyone see it. Not even Hikari! Despite their pleas to see what she did, Hikaru remained steadfast in her decision that Kagome would be the first one besides Hikari to see the room which, coincidentally, was right next to her own.

It felt like hours until they heard the doorbell ring. "She's here!" Hikaru jumped out of Masaru's lap and took off for the door.

"Neechan!" they heard Hikaru squeal followed by a soft 'THUMP'.

"Hikaru!" a sweet voice exclaimed. "Oh, I missed you so much!"

By now, the three Shidou brothers had made their way to the front where they found the amusing sight of Hikaru snuggling into Kagome who lay on the ground. They grinned. It was just like Hikaru to do something like this.

"Hikaru, why don't you let Kagome get up and we can show her the room you decorated for her," Satoru said amusedly.

"Eh?" Hikaru stopped nuzzling the older girl for a minute, looking confused before realizing what her brother had said. "Oh right! Gomen, Neechan!"

"It's alright, Hikaru," Kagome laughed. "I didn't mind!" She turned to her other three cousins with a smile. "It's great to see you again, Sato-niisan, Ma-kun, Keru-kun! You don't look like you've changed much!"

"But you have," Masaru chuckled as he and his brothers took in the changes of their cousin.

Unfortunately, because Kagome was seldom in the Modern Era due to her duties that lay in the past, she hadn't been able to keep up contact with the Shidou siblings. An email here and there, maybe a short phone call or letter was about as good as it got for them.

But to see her as she was now was a bit to take in for Shidou brothers.

Her raven hair hung to just below her knees with a thick section braided over her head. Her petite figure was clothed in a cream dress, white leggings and black flats. But what caught their attention the most were her eyes. Minty eyes that seemed to hold a wealth of knowledge shone with a glow of unknown strength.

Their cousin had changed.

They could feel it.

"Come on, Neechan, let's go to your room!" Hikaru started tugging on the older girl's hand.

"Alright, alright," Kagome chuckled. "Just give me a chance to get my things?"

"I'll help!" Hikaru said energetically. She darted forward and grabbed two large duffels and zipped inside.

"That was…" Kagome blinked.

"Hikaru!" Kakeru laughed. "Besides, she hasn't let anyone even _in_ to your room! Says you'll be the first one besides Hikari to see it!" He slung a bag over his shoulder as picked up a box in his arms and made to follow after Hikaru.

"Really?" Kagome asked Masaru and Satoru. "She hasn't let anyone see it?"

"No one," Satoru shook his head with a chuckle. "She was excited to hear you were come to stay with us. She made plans to decorate your room and hasn't let anyone in, not even to help, since," Satoru took the last box inside while Masaru took the last of Kagome's luggage, despite her protests.

"Tada!" Hikaru announced as she pulled the shoji door aside to let everyone look at the room she'd decorated for Kagome.

"Oh…" Kagome covered her mouth in surprise.

"Whoa…" Masaru and Kakeru whisteled.

"You've done a wonderful job, Hikaru," Satoru smiled, making the scarlet-haired girl flush with a sheepish smile.

The room was painted in a periwinkle and navy gradient. in addition to the colour-scheme, it looked like Hikaru had even stuck glow-in-the-dark stars onto the ceiling.

"Hikaru," Kagome breathed, "This is beautiful!" She caught the younger girl into a tight embrace. "Thank you!"

"It was nothing!" Hikaru rubbed the back of her head. "I just wanted to give you the perfect gift to welcome you home!"

You as she might have been, Hikaru had never forgotten the gift her cousin had given her. When she had been about ten years old, Hikaru wanted to move her room closer to the backyard, and therefore, Hikari. Kagome, who had been visiting at the time, was determined to decorate Hikaru's new room as a little gift for her younger cousin.

The room had been painted a pale pink with red accents; tiny pictures of dogs and flowers had been brushed onto the walls afterwards in all sorts of colours as an extra detail. Simple as the design had been, Hikaru cherished it. She hadn't changed how the room looked since, save for her furniture and small knickknacks.

"Now I know why you were covered in blue the other day," Kakeru rubbed his head with a low whistle. He thought back to how Hikaru had bustled into the kitchen, asking for a bucket, paying no mind to the fact that she was nearly covered from head to toe with varying shades of blue.

"It took a while to get it all just right," Hikaru giggled nervously, "I wanted it to be perfect."

"Well, then, I think you'll be glad to know that it was absolutely perfect, Hikaru!" the ravenette squeezed her cousin once more.

"Why don't we all get to bed?" Masaru suggested. "It's late right now and I'm sure Kagome's tired from the trip. We can talk in the morning when we're all well-rested."

Everyone agreed as they began to filter out of the room. "Oh!" Hikaru stopped and looked back at Kagome. "Would it be okay for you to hang out with me and my friends tomorrow, Neechan? They wanted to meet you when I told you about them."

"Of course," Kagome nodded, "I'd love to meet your friends!"

"Oyasumi, Neechan!" Hikaru called out as she shut the door behind her.

"Oyasumi, Hikaru!" Kagome answered back.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	4. A Bad Feeling

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER! Seriously, read it!**

AN: Hi, sorry about the late update. I've just had a lot on my plate, so I've had very little time to actually write. But I'm here now, so just go on reading whatever's next!

Now, I'm going to address something that seems to have become a misconception for this story. I think I didn't explain it correctly, so I'm going to explain now. When I said I was going to borrow details from the manga mostly, I literally meant that I would only be BORROWING. As in, details from the actual happenings would only be referred to, and very little would actually have Kagome included into the plot. (If that made any sense right now…) This isn't meant to be a long story and it was never meant to be so in the first place.

This isn't a story where Kagome gets integrated into the MKR timeline, no that's an idea I have for another story that won't be out for quite some time. But the summary should've been an indicator of sorts as to what the story was going to be about. Kagome will be an outsider to the actual events of the MKR series, but at the same time, she'll have a subtle impact, so to speak, for the first few chapters, though it'll make no difference in what happens. She'll be woven into the after-story, rather than the main arcs.

I truly apologize for the confusion! Ah, and please don't mind it so much if the chapter sounds a bit wonky, I'm getting back into writing after not being able to do so for a while.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-A Bad Feeling-Oo**

 _'Eugh! Something feels all fishy about today,'_ Kagome frowned as she brushed out her hair. _'Something big is going to happen, I just know it! And I_ know _I won't like it!'_

Since the moment she'd woken up, the raven-haired teen had felt something ominous in the air. She didn't know what it could be or who if that was actually the case. But she could tell it was an omen, and a bad one at that. It was the same feeling she'd gotten just before a certain Centipede Yōkai had pulled her into the Bone Eater's Well on her fifteenth birthday.

Someone was going to get pulled into something and the outcome probably wouldn't be good.

Of _that_ Kagome was certain.

* * *

-Sakurakawa Junior High-

"Have fun on your trip, Hikaru!" Kagome waved at her fiery-haired cousin as she ran through the school gates.

"I will!" Hikaru said over her shoulder. "I'll see you after school, Neechan!"

Once the youngest Shidou was out of sight, the petite Miko allowed her smile to drop.

The ominous feeling she'd had the entire morning through only intensified when Hikaru woke, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed as always. It couldn't be a coincidence, Kagome knew, because something about Hikaru had changed. Her aura showed as much.

It felt as though something laid dormant within her. Warm, but Strong. Fiery, but calm.

Kagome could only come to one conclusion: Magic was beginning to emerge from within her little cousin.

No, it was no coincidence. There were no coincidences in the world, only that which is to be. However much Kagome may wish for Hikaru to never get involved in anything dangerous, Fate would just drag her into it anyway and there would be nothing she could do to stop it.

Hitsuzen would make it so.

(AN: It's **CLAMP** , I couldn't resist! XD)

 _'Kami-sama,'_ Kagome closed her eyes, _'Please give Hikaru the strength to face whatever Fate has planned for her.'_

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	5. Cursing Fate

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: This chapter is slightly connected to the series in that it's about what happened in the period between the end of Rayeath and beginning of Rayearth II. The next chapter, I think will also be placed in more or less of the same time placement, if my thinking is correct.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Cursing Fate-Oo**

"I beg your pardon, but can you please repeat that?" Kagome asked the doctor in disbelief when the Shidou brothers were out of sight. "Hikaru is here because of _what_?"

The woman sighed irately as she pushed her glasses up her pointy-shaped nose. "Shidou Hikaru-san was brought here after collapsing from shock. She is resting now, but she will be cleared to go home after she wakes up."

"And you didn't see it fit to _inform_ us of her admittance here?" the Miko gritted her teeth. She counted backwards mentally as she tried to hold back from decking the arrogant woman before her. "Do you _know_ how worried we were? How _long_ we looked for her when she didn't come home? _Not even the school knew where she was!_ "

"I made a professionally _unbiased_ decision. The child is _my_ patient and I wished to see her out of any potential danger before informing her family," the doctor sniffed. "As it is, her father was unreachable, to my knowledge."

"Exactly!" Kagome burst out. "Hikaru is a _child_! As her family, we should have been notified _immediately_! And if you had bothered to _check_ her records correctly, you would know that _Satoru-niisan_ is her legal guardian, _not her father_!" Her eyes grew bright with anger. "She may have been admitted as your patient, but that gives you _no right_ to make legal decisions for her! _You are not a Kami!_ You have no right to do what you did, and I have the feeling that this isn't the first time you've done so either!"

The raven-haired teen stalked away towards Hikaru's room, but stopped just a few paces away. "Don't think I'll let this issue go so easily, Sensei," she cast a cold glare at the doctor, "I _will_ report you for misconduct and ask for an investigation into these 'professionally unbiased decisions'. You can be sure of _that_."

She left behind a fuming hook-nosed doctor cursing quite loudly, much to other passerby's shock.

* * *

-Shidou Residence-

"Hikaru?" Kagome asked softly, knocking on the redhead's door. "Can I come in?" In her arms was a tray that held Hikaru's dinner.

There was no response at first, then a small sniffle. "…okay…" came the tiny whisper.

The raven-haired girl let herself into her cousin's room. Her heart dropped at the sight that met her eyes. "Hikaru…"

The girl was curled up in a fetal position around a pillow. Her small form shook with muffled sobs as Hikari faithfully lay by her feet, whimpering.

Kagome set the tray of food down on the low table and sat beside the redhead on her bed. "Hikaru, why won't you tell me what's wrong? I'm worried about you…" She stroked the fiery locks slowly, prompting a small flinch from their owner.

Without warning, the Miko found herself dragged down to the bed with her cousin's face buried in her stomach. "Why? Why Neechan?" Hikaru wept into the fabric of Kagome's fox-print nightdress. Kagome only held her tight, giving her as much comfort as she could.

Since they brought her home from the hospital, Hikaru had sequestered herself away into her room. She said very little, and ate nothing unless coaxed. She cried and cried, but still would say nothing to her family.

There were no coincidences in the world, only that which would be. Every person's path in life was written from the moment they came into this world. Everything from the good to the bad instances in life to everything in between was already made to happen.

It was something Kagome was made to understand while traveling through the Sengoku Jidai.

It was something she found out herself.

But although she knew this, it didn't stop Kagome from cursing Fate in instances like this. _'I asked the Kami to give her strength,'_ the miko cooed softly to her cousin who was finally letting her exhaustion lull her to sleep. _'Her body survived, but her spirit is broken! A soul as sweet and innocent as her never deserved this!'_

She sighed as she felt herself giving into the Sandman's call. _'I can only hope that you will be given a chance to heal, Hikaru. And that you will take it…'_

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	6. A Visit

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Hello, here's another chapter!

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-A Visit-Oo**

"I'm so glad you came to see her," the raven-haired miko said quietly as she led the two teens to her cousin's room. "Ever since that trip to Tokyo Tower, she just hasn't been the same. She doesn't come out of her room unless asked, she's not eating well or taking care of herself…she's not even speaking. Maybe seeing the two of you will help more than we can…"

The girl with short blonde hair and emerald eyes traded glances with the powder-blue haired girl and sapphire eyes. They knew why Hikaru was the way she was, but they couldn't tell anyone. "We'll see what we can do, Higurashi-san," Fuu tried smiling at the older girl.

Minty eyes looked on at the two girls pensively. She could tell that whatever had happened to Hikaru, these two had been involved as well. Their auras were very much like her little cousin's after she came back from that field trip.

The blue-haired girl— _Ryuuzaki Umi_ , Kagome reminded herself—she could tell carried a fluid aura, much like a river or the ocean with their ever constant currents and waves. But that current was more like trickle of a stream now as her aura was saturated in depression.

The blonde-haired girl with the glasses— _Houoji Fuu_ , she remembered—had a wispy aura. Somewhat akin to air or wind in their ever changing speeds. Unfortunately, what could usually be a calm breeze was now just barely a draft as she, too, was weighed down by grief and guilt.

Hikaru was very much the same, Kagome noticed. When the young girl had been brought back home, she noticed her changed aura. It seemed to be…blazing, or at least it should have been. But because of the remorse and gloom in her aura, it was about as bright as a dying ember at this point.

But they all carried the same spark of magic within them, Kagome noticed.

"Now, none of that," the raven-haired teen shook her head. "Just call me Neechan like Hikaru does, or whatever else you'd like. Higurashi-san makes me think like you're speaking to my Okaa-san!"

Umi and Fuu couldn't help the small giggle that left their lips. "Okay, Kagome-neesan," Fuu agreed.

"Hikaru," the raven-haired teen called out to the young girl inside her room. "You have some friends here to see you…" She frowned at the door. _'Oh, Hikaru, I wish you would let me in, just a little… But, I haven't told anyone about my adventures, so it wouldn't be very fair, now would it?'_

"…Who?" came the muffled question.

Kagome waved the girls forward. "It's us, Hikaru! Umi and Fuu!" the sapphire-eyed girl spoke loudly.

"Please let us in, Hikaru-san," the blonde in glasses pleaded.

For a moment the trio thought the fiery-haired girl wouldn't open the door. Then there was a small _THUMP_ and a soft shuffling of feet. Then the door opened to reveal a miserable Hikaru. "Umi-chan? Fuu-chan? You're really here?"

"Of course we are!" Umi smiled sadly. "You didn't think we'd leave you alone after…"

"I—"

"We're friends, Hikaru-san," Fuu said gently. "Whatever happens, we'll always be there for each other."

Hikaru said nothing as she tackled the taller girls into a desperate hug, her small form shaking. Umi and Fuu returned the embrace whole-heartedly as they escorted the girl back into her room.

 _'Yes,'_ the Miko thought, walking away with a small smile. _'If none of us can help Hikaru, these girls can. And maybe, just maybe they can heal each other…'_

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	7. A Wonderful Family

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: All right, now I want to give a little info here. I don't own the original six volumes of the series, though I've read really tattered copies years ago that were once available at the library. It's rare to even be able to find them nowadays anyway, especially after the American branch of TokyoPop shut down. But, I _do_ have the two Omni-volumes released by Dark Horse, where the six volumes of the original manga were stuffed into two large volumes (one for Rayearth I and one for Rayearth II, though it was the second that took the longest time to find…) including coloured illustrations. Some that were done over in greytone in the original manga and some that weren't included at all.

I've also read online scanlations of the series on a few different sites and they all have more or less the same translations save for a few quotes. But anyway, I'll be referencing and using quotes from my Omni-volume of Rayearth II since it's readily availble, so if some of it sounds a bit off, it could be because of that. I will most likely doing the same with later chapters and referencing quotes from the first omni-volume along with the second… Ah, but I remembered some of the quotes from the original smaller volumes released and I _did_ notice they were a bit different than what I have in my Omni-volume. So this is just a tiny warning just in case of any questions or confusion.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-A Wonderful Family-Oo**

Kagome and the Shidou brothers watched as Hikaru sat in the middle of the dojo. She was in uniform and her shinai was laid out on the floor beside her. Her eyes were closed and her hands were closed into tight fists as they rested on her knees.

"Hikaru hasn't been herself lately," Masaru whispered, peeking around the shoji door.

"Yeah," Kakeru nodded, "She's been like this since that trip to Tokyo Tower…"

"What could've happened to her?"

"Y-You don't think it could've been a ' _who_ '?!"

"What if she was shoved aside by some rowdy tourists!"

"Or if some shady creeps tried making a move on her?"

"She hasn't said anything to you?" Satoru muttered to Kagome. He ignored the overprotective, paranoid ramblings of his two younger brothers.

"Nothing," the Miko shook her head. "I think the only ones who were able to get more than a few words out of her were her friends, Fuu-chan and Umi-chan."

"When I find out who did this," Kakeru jumped to his feet determinedly, "I'll give 'em a beating they won't ever forget! No one messes with our little Hikaru and gets away with it!"

Masaru nodded in agreement. "That's right!" He pumped his fist into the air with his younger brother.

Kagome looked on exasperatedly at the younger Shidou brothers. "You two…"

It was then she noticed the eldest Shidou walking over to the scarlet-haired girl. Glancing at Masaru and Kakeru who were still off in their own world, she giggled a bit before walking in after Satoru.

"Satoru-niisama…Neechan…" they heard Hikaru whisper hoarsely.

The eldest Shidou sat in a seiza before Hikaru while Kagome sat beside the younger girl. "You haven't told your Neechan anything, I've heard. You won't tell even your Niisama why you're sad?" he asked quietly.

Ruby eyes looked down at the floor morosely and nodded.

The russet-haired man looked at his sister for a moment and turned his eyes onto the raven-haired teen.

 _'Don't push her,'_ minty eyes told him, _'She'll tell us when she's ready.'_

 _'I won't,'_ his own responded.

"I understand," Satoru placed a gentle hand over the head of fiery locks. "I won't ask you anymore, no one will."

"Just know that we're here for you, Hikaru," Kagome hugged the younger girl from behind.

"I'm sorry…Niisama, Neechan," Hikaru apologized, fists clenched.

"A person has to make their own decisions in this world," chocolate eyes looked kindly down at the youngest Shidou. "You've made up your mind, so stick with it."

"But remember," Kagome spoke up, "if you're ever in any doubt, listen to your heart. Matters of the head and matters of the heart are often two different things. But in times when your will wavers, trust in your heart and you'll never be led astray."

(AN: Did that quote sound right at all? It sounded way simpler in my head before I wrote it out…)

"I will!" the fiery-haired girl said determinedly.

"Kagome…" a voice growled from behind her. "Leggo!"

The raven-haired girl blinked as she found her arms empty and looked around for her cousin. She giggled when she found the younger girl dangling in the arms of the middle Shidou brother. "No fair! I'm worried about Hikaru, too…"

"Hold it!" Hikaru squawked when she was suddenly grabbed into another embrace from Masaru's arms. "You don't think I'm worried, too?" Kakeru pouted. He turned to Hikaru, large rivers of tears streaming over his cheeks. "Cry on my shoulder if ever need to!"

"N-No worries, Kakeru-niisan…" Hikaru laughed nervously. She looked around at her small family and gave the most sincere smile the brothers and Kagome had seen from her in months. "I'm so glad to have such a wonderful family!"

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	8. Little Gifts

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: HA! I got another one up! XD

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Little Gifts-Oo**

"You're going to Tokyo Tower?" Kagome asked from her place atop Hikaru's bed. "Are you sure you're up for it?"

"I don't know…" Hikaru's hands dropped from fixing her bow. "I don't think we're ever going to forget what happened there. But…it's been four months, and Umi-chan, Fuu-chan, and I decided to go there again."

"Why?"

"We just…need to. I don't know how to explain it…"

Minty eyes looked on at the younger girl for a moment. "Hikaru, come here and let me tell you something," Kagome patted the space beside her.

The fiery-haired teen sat beside her cousin and looked at her expectantly. "What is it, Neechan?"

"Hikaru," Kagome spoke, wrapping an arm around the younger girl's shoulders, "From the moment we're born, Fate writes out the path we'll follow in life. It'll twist and it'll turn, but you'll learn and grow through those experiences. Life seems unfair or cruel sometimes, but there's always a reason for what happens."

"But what if it's just a coincidence that some stuff happens the way it does?" Hikaru asked. "What if my choices lead me off my path?"

"There are no coincidences in this world, Hikaru, only Hitsuzen," the petite Miko answered. "Everything happens does because it was already meant to, regardless of choice. Everyday we're faced with choices, from the smallest, simplest things to matters of great importance. Each choice leads you in a different direction but they all travel on the same path."

When Kagome looked down at Hikaru, the youngest Shidou felt as though her older cousin wasn't just seeing _her_. She felt those minty eyes seeing _into_ her, as if she knew something that Hikaru didn't. "Neechan?"

"Your first trip to Tokyo Tower left your spirit broken and your heart heavy with guilt," Kagome told her, "But I don't think that's the end of that story. I have a feeling that you'll be able to conquer your demons as long as you have hope and belief in yourself and your friends."

 _'Does she know about Cephiro?'_ Hikaru thought absently, blinking. "I'll remember, Neechan."

"Oh, and before you go, take this," the raven-haired teen tied a red and gold woven bracelet with five beads etched with Kanji characters.

"What's this?" Hikaru brought her wrist up to her face to observe the small gift. "It's really pretty!"

"Thank you!" Kagome grinned. "You know that I'm an acting Miko for the shrine, right? Well, I make all kinds of Omamori and sutras to sell. So I decided to make a little something to help you." _'Whether you know it or not.'_

She took out two more bracelets. One woven with blue and gold and the other with green and gold, both had the same five beads etched with kanji that Hikaru's had. "Oh, and these are for your friends, Umi-san and Fuu-san."

"Why?" ruby eyes looked up in confusion. "Why make them at all?"

"I made yours because I love you," the miko told the younger girl. "I made yours because I thought that this could help you even if I couldn't. And the ones for your friends are my way of thanking them for being there for you. For helping you in ways your brothers and I couldn't." _'And because if my guess is right, they'll need just as much help as you will.'_

"Thank you, Neechan!" Hikaru bounced out of the room after squeezing the older girl in a tight hug.

Kagome walked up to the window and looked into the sky. _'Hikaru and her friends will be walking into the face of danger again. But, this time, they'll come out stronger and whole. I only hope my charms help…'_

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	9. Going Back

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: I'm glad that the last two chapters were well received! Ah, but there still seems to be a teensy bit of misunderstanding with how I'm doing this. I already expressed that Kagome won't be integrated into the series, that if anything, she would be included but would be an overall outsider to the events of the series. Kagome's part right now is small because she's playing a supporting role to Hikaru, her time won't come until AFTER the events of the second series come to a conclusion. So, all I ask is for a little patience and hope you all continue to read!

As for the bracelet-style Omamori Kagome had given, I used Kanji as the symbol basis on them because it's what I'm most familiar with. I've tried to find out what style of writing is used on traditional Omamori, but there's not much info on the actual writing as there is on what they're for, where they're found, and what kinds are available. I know that Katakana or Hiragana could be used, but I'm not very familiar with those, so if traditional Omamori are usually in one of those, then I apologize.

Anywho, this chapter and possibly the next two (I'm not totally sure yet) will have no Kagome in it physically. She might be mentioned, spoken of, or seen in possible flashbacks, but there won't be any actual Kagome there for a bit.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Going Back-Oo**

"Emeraude-hime…" Hikaru murmured as she looked into the sky with wistful ruby eyes. She gasped when she was suddenly hugged from behind. "Don't you dare start crying," she heard a familiar voice say and turned around.

"Because, then, I'll cry, too," Umi finished with a soft smile. Fuu, right beside her, nodded in agreement.

"Umi-chan, Fuu-chan…" Hikaru looked at her friends sadly. "I-I keep dreaming about Cephiro. That world we were summoned to…The smoking volcano, the bright ocean, the mountain floating in the sky…I remember the world supported by Emeraude-hime as its Pillar."

Her eyes closed as the images flew through her mind. "…And I remember the battle that tore it apart. She did it all on her own," tears slipped over her cheeks at this point. "The peace and harmony of the world was kept whole by her Will. But then, with these hands—"

"Hikaru!" Umi cried out worriedly, watching a small trail of blood leave Hikaru's clenched fist. "Stop it! You're only hurting yourself!"

"Please take care of yourself, Hikaru-san," Fuu chided gently, whipping up the blood with a handkerchief. "This isn't Cephiro, I can't heal you here."

Neither girl noticed the faint glow from Hikaru's bracelet trail down into her hand.

"I just—I thought being Magic Knights would make us heroes," the fiery-haired teen's bangs covered her eyes as she spoke. "I thought we were helping! But I don't understand why Zagato did it all! Why did Emeraude-hime bring us to that world to…"

"I don't know," the sapphire-eyed teen shook her head. "At first, I just wanted to come home, so I went along with it. I thought that the faster we could get everything done, the faster we'd get home. But then I started learning magic and got to know you and Fuu and so many other people… I thought I was helping Emeraude-hime, too, and everyone else in Cephiro…"

"It seemed so much like an RPG at first," the blonde-haired girl confessed. "But there was no war of alignments, no good or evil…just people. And it was that, that made the battle even more terrible. We followed our hearts, questioned very little of what we were told and it only led to tragedy."

"I can't even play those kinds of games anymore," Umi shook her head. "Every time I try, I play as the hero and then I see my enemy. I start off seeing them as evil…but then I look through the enemy's eyes and realize that _they're_ playing a hero, too and to them, _I_ was the evil one."

At that, the trio fell silent. Hikaru's eyes strayed from the sky to the ground and then finally to her bracelet. Her eyes widened as she remembered what her cousin had told her just before coming to Tokyo Tower.

 _"There are no coincidences in this world, Hikaru. Everything that happens does because it was already meant to, regardless of choice."_

Hikaru's brow furrowed at those words. Did this mean that Princess Emeraude was meant to die? That they were meant to end her life and that of Zagato? _'That can't be right, though…can it?'_

(AN: Just as a warning, I'll be interchanging 'Emeruade-hime' for 'Princess Emeraude'.)

"'Life seems unfair or cruel sometimes,'" Hikaru quoted her cousin softly, "'But there's always a reason for what happens.'"

Umi and Fuu looked surprised at the quote. "That's an interesting thought, Hikaru," the blunette spoke up. "Where did you hear something like that?"

"Neechan…" the fiery-haired girl answered. "Neechan was the one who told me that."

"Kagome-neesan is very wise," the blonde nodded.

Hikaru nodded when she remembered the gifts. "Oh, and Neechan wanted me to give these to you two. She said it's to thank you for being there for me."

"They're very beautiful," Fuu admired the delicate trinket.

"Kagome-nee made this herself?" Umi asked, peering closely at the tiny Kanji carvings, but unable to make them out.

The fiery-haired teen was about to answer when something else Kagome had said came to mind.

 _"Your first trip to Tokyo Tower left your spirit broken and your heart heavy with guilt. But I don't think that's the end of that story. I have a feeling you'll be able to conquer your demons as long as you have hope and belief in yourself and your friends."_

Determination shone bright in ruby eyes as her decision was made. _'Neechan was right. As long as I have hope, as long as I and believe in not just myself, but my friends, too, then I know I can make a difference!'_

"I want to go back to Cephiro!" Hikaru spoke strongly. "I don't want to leave everyone on that world with nothing ever changing! I want to go back and really help Cephiro, this time! I want to be able to help the world that Emeraude-hime loved for real this time!"

"I want—" Umi began.

"—the same thing," Fuu finished.

As if on cue, there was a bright flash of light. Time seemed to slow around the trio as a gale whipped around them. They raised their arms to shield their eyes, and so didn't notice their forms fading little by little until a small flash of sparks remained in their place.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	10. Time Delayed

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Er, forgot to put this in when I first uploaded the chapters, so I'm doing it now. It's not really long, and it's not intended to be but it's supposed to help with transitioning. I'm going to put up another few so don't be surprised if the chapter count becomes a bit wonky!

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Time Delayed-Oo**

Kagome looked up from her book when she felt a pulse of magic pass over her. _'Hm_ _…'_

"They'll be all right," she muttered to herself. Putting her book away, the ravenette walked out of her room. She looked around for a moment before going off in search of her cousins.

"I guess they really are gone, then."

Kagome noted that, just like before, time had slowed down. Satoru, who'd been in the middle of teaching a Kendo class, now moved with only a tiny fraction of speed rather than the precise and smooth movements she was used to seeing from the older male. She noted that both Masaru and Kakeru had slowed down in their movements as well.

"What the heck am I supposed to do until Hikaru comes back, then?" Kagome tapped her cheek.

It was times like this she cursed being immune to time!

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	11. Go

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: So, here's another of the tiny things.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Go-Oo**

Mokona looked up with a surprisingly pensive expression, ears stiff and straight up. He'd felt what other had not yet sensed. "Puu…"

Hopping off for the atrium, the white creature paid no mind to the curious and startled musings of the place's inhabitants. He bounced until he came to the entrance of the castle. Twisting to look around him, Mokona nodded when he noted there was no one there.

His jewel flashed white, transporting him into a dark void.

Three armoured figures, giant in size compared to Mokona stepped out of the darkness one by one. Going down on one knee, they bowed their heads to the white creature that stood before them.

"They have returned," Windam spoke.

"Once more they come to don us," Selece said.

"What is thy will?" Only Rayearth alone lifted his head to look at Mokona.

 ** _"Go,_ _"_ ** Mokona's ear popped up.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	12. Connection

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: And yet another.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Connection-Oo**

So…those were Cephiro's Legendary Mashin.

They looked very much like the fighter mechas they had on Autozam. In fact, if it weren't for Lantis telling him about them, he probably _would_ have mistaken them as mechas. _'I wonder if we can study those a bit more when I become the new Pillar_ _…_ '

Eagle looked absently at the screen. An image of the red Mashin was frozen on the glass panel.

What was it about _this_ Mashin that caught his attention?

Something about this Mashin, something about the person inside called out to him.

 _'Who are you?'_

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	13. Strange Feelings

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: And yet another.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Strange Feelings-Oo**

"Something must be wrong with me," Hikaru murmured to Mokona as she walked through the halls of the Crystal Palace.

"PUU?!" Mokona stiffened with worry in the teen's arms. He began patting her arms and face, looking for any sign of illness. "PuuPuu! Puu?"

Hikaru tilted her head at Mokona curiously. She laughed when she realized what the white fluffball was trying to do. "Oh, I don't mean that I'm sick or hurt, Mokona! I just…I think it's something else…"

"Puu?"

 _'Eagle Vision,'_ Hikaru whispered inwardly.

He was invading Cephiro to become the new Pillar, so he was the enemy, right? He even attacked them!

So why did his name send shivers up her spine? Why did his voice make her heart race? Why did she want to see him so much?

 _'Neechan,'_ Hikaru flushed, _'I wish you were here right now! I don't know what's wrong with me!'_

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	14. Impossibilities

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: This chapter was a little more difficult to write, I'll admit. Remember when I said that this story would be primarily manga-based, but references to the anime would be made? Well, this is where I had to get creative and see what I could mesh into the manga timeline without disrupting too much. No clue how well a job I did, but we'll see in the end, I suppose…

Oh, and I wanted to make this clear so there was no confusion, Presea is really Presea like in the manga. Sierra wasn't a bad character; I'm just saying that the second season of the anime was waaaaay too dark, despite some lighter moments, the overall tone was just _too_ dark. (Grrr! Animation companies! This would be a great time to try and give over a redo of the series ya know! Like you did for Sailor Moon which is now way closer to the manga than the original anime! I like both, so I'm not again the old anime so much save for a few tidbits here and there…) Sierra will be included, but as herself.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Impossibilities-Oo**

"H-How did she survive?" Presea asked. "This is impossible! Absolutely impossible! Completely unheard of! Never in all my years—"

"What? So you're saying she should've died?" Umi huffed.

Caldina nodded. "I'm agreein' with the lil'missy here. Shouldn't we be happy Hikaru's alive?"

"Perhaps you should calm down, Umi-san. There must be some explanation," Fuu said pleadingly. "Presea-san, could you possibly explain what you're in such shock about?"

The Pharle sighed as she turned to look at the unconscious Hikaru tucked into her bed. "Why don't we gather everyone into the throne room? I think situation should be made known, Guru Clef might want to know just what has happened…"

The two Magic Knights cast an unsure glance at each other and then at Hikaru before nodding. "Mokona-san?" Fuu went over to the fluffy white creature. "Will you stay here with Hikaru-san and watch over her?"

"Puu! Puu!" Mokona nodded, standing up as straight as he could.

 ** _~AMatchOfTwoSouls~_**

"Do you remember how you retrieved the Escudo that was used to create your swords?" Presea asked, not looking at the two Magic Knights.

Everyone in the throne room looked interested in the answer to the question. Escudo was an ore that was rarely used, but very few that obtained it ever divulged how they got it.

"Well, we all had to face the ones we valued the most," Umi remembered. "I had to fight my parents, but I didn't want to at first…"

"And I faced myself, though I didn't understand why at first," Fuu added. "I believe Hikaru-san said that she faced her dog, Hikari."

"That's pretty harsh," Ferio winced. "If I really went through with trying to get that stuff…GAH! I don't even want to _think_ about who could've been there!"

"I didn't know how I was going to get through it. I thought I _wouldn't_ get through it; I know Hikaru and Fuu felt the same," the bluenette spoke. "But then Emeraude-hime came to us and showed us how to see that what we were facing were only illusions. That those imitations of the ones we cared for would never do to us what they were doing."

Clef looked surprised. _'Emeraude-hime came to their aid? But how? I would've been able to sense her magic if she'd used it!'_

"I suspected that would be the case," Presea nodded with a sigh. "There is a reason why Escudo, while being the strongest ore in Cephiro, isn't often used. The test you passed in order to gain the Escudo is just one of the reasons…the other is because once you've gained the ore, it binds _you_ irrevocably to _it_."

"Binds?" Ascot asked curiously. "What does that mean, Presea?"

"Escudo is a special mineral because it's the only one able to create evolving weapons," the Pharle explained. "As you grow, not just in physical strength, but in strength of mind and heart, the weapons evolve to accommodate and mark that growth. Umi, Fuu, did you never wonder why your swords evolved at the times they did?"

"I always thought it was meant to happen," Umi shook her head. "So I didn't think too much of it."

"To be honest," Fuu put a finger to her chin thoughtfully, "I expected something like that happen once I heard that Escudo was a legendary mineral. I never stopped to understand the process of how they evolved, to be honest, though it wasn't a surprise when they did."

"You expected them to evolve?" Lafarga blinked. "How could you expect them to evolve if you were new to this world?"

"I will answer that in just a moment, Lafarga-san," Fuu told the current Captain of the Guard. She turned to Clef, "Clef-san, you were surprised when we first came to Cephiro that we neither knew of magic or at least knew of our magic, correct?"

The lavender-haired man that had the appearance of a child nodded. "I found it very odd, considering you three were to be the Magic Knights."

"That would be because true magic doesn't exist in our world."

"What?" Surprisingly, it was Lantis that had let his shock be known, however quietly it might have seemed to be.

"That's right," Umi nodded. "Our world isn't one where belief is power or where magic reigns. We have people who can perform illusions, but not true magic. Things like that only exist in stories or games in our world, maybe that's why Fuu suspected something."

"Exactly," the blonde-haired Magic Knight spoke. "Cephiro and its way of life, to the people of Earth, would be considered something of a fantasy."

"Enough about that," Caldina pointed her fan at Presea. "Why were ya so surprised that Hikaru was alive?"

"When the Magic Knights received their Escudo," the Pharle answered, "they were bonded to it through the passing of the trial. When someone is bound to a weapon forged of Escudo, their very life is bound to the weapon. No other can use the weapon because of this bond, but if the weapon is destroyed then it will take the life of the wielder with it."

"But Hikaru is alive, so that can't be true, right?" Umi asked, her tone bordering on hysteria.

"No, it's true," the caramel-haired Pharle shook her head. "I've seen it happen, which is why I'm confused as to why Hikaru is alive. That doesn't mean I'm not glad she survived; I just want to know how she survived the severance of the bond."

She looked at the Magic Knights. "Your bonds with your own weapons are even stronger because you are Magic Knights, because your Rune Gods are connected to you through them. Hikaru's sword snapping would have meant instant death, and yet she is still alive. Unconscious, yes, but undoubtedly alive."

"But if that wasn't supposed to happen," Caldina mused, "Did some _thing_ or some _one_ help our lil'missy?"

"I don't know," Presea shook her head. "I was hoping…that you might have some idea, Guru Clef," she turned to looked at the small man in white.

"I—" Clef looked unsure. "I've never heard of such a thing ever happening. I know of the dangers of a weapon forged from Escudo and the bond between the receiver and the ore. But never have I ever seen something like this…"

"OH!"

Everyone looked startled at the sudden exclamation. Looking to the source, they saw a distressed Knight of Wind. "Fuu? Is something the matter?" Ferio asked.

"Hikaru-san's hand!" she spoke worriedly. "There were no scars!"

"Huh?" Now everyone looked confused, at least everyone but Umi.

"You're right," the blunette shook her head. "But how? We weren't in Cephiro at the time, so I know you didn't use any magic…"

"May I ask what is troubling you?" Lafarga asked.

"Before we came back to Cephiro, Hikaru-san had cut her hand," Fuu bit her lip. "I cleaned it, but it should have scarred. We weren't in Cephiro where I could use my magic to heal her. But, then, what happened to heal her so completely?"

A thought occurred to Knight of Water. "Could whatever helped Hikaru with those cuts have helped her stay alive after her sword was snapped?"

"It's very likely," Clef nodded. "Can you tell us just how Hikaru's sword was destroyed?"

"We don't know much," Fuu shook her head. "I remember seeing Hikaru-san and Rayearth fighting another Rune God."

"But it was one we've never seen before," Umi added. "And I couldn't sense anyone inside of it, either. The Rune God felt like it was there on its own. It was the one that destroyed Hikaru's sword…"

"No one else was there?" the former attendant of Princess Emeraude asked. "Could you feel anyone there around the both of you?"

"No one," the Knights chimed.

The lavender-haired Mage pursed his lips. "Umi, Fuu, would you come here for a moment? I'd like to check something."

The Magic Knights glanced at one another and shrugged, but they complied with the request nonetheless.

Clef raised his hand and faced his palm to the girls before him, eyes closed in concentration. A faint glow emitted from the appendage as a shimmering trail left to engulf the girls. Everyone held their breath as they watched the Mage work, but couldn't help but wonder just what he was checking for.

"It's just as I suspected," he spoke finally.

"What is it?" Lafarga asked.

"Magic," Clef spoke. "It's not any kind of magic I've felt, either. Because they've been venturing deeper into Cephiro, I'm able to get a feel for the energies of Autozam, Chizeta, and Fahren."

"How could ya sense Autozam?" Caldina scratched her head. "They use machines for everything!"

"But mental energy is a focus for many of Autozam's mechanics," Lantis said, spooking everyone in the room. He'd been silent for so long that they'd forgotten he was there in the first place.

"Anyway," Clef coughed, trying to bring the conversation back to where it was before the interruption. "It seems that there is a foreign magic intertwined with your own, Umi, Fuu. I would wager that Hikaru has the same."

"But if it's connected with our magic, shouldn't we able to feel it?" Umi asked.

"Not exactly. When I say 'intertwined', I mean it very loosely. I could see your magic flowing strong and true; this new magic is only there as a…support of sorts. I don't know how to explain because I've never seen such magic before. But I _can_ tell you that it isn't intent on causing harm."

"But, then, where did the magic come from?" Fuu wondered.

"I don't know," Clef shook his head. "As I said, I've never felt a magic like this before. So…pure and light. Strong, yet gentle. Kind, but protective. If anything, this is only going to help you three, it will never hinder you."

"Then can we assume that this magic is how Hikaru survived?" Ferio clarified.

The Mage nodded. "As we've stated before, Hikaru should never have survived that ordeal, Magic Knight or not, strong willed or not. Something must have saved her and I believe it was this strange magic that did so."

Ascot, young as he might have been in years, saw something in the older Mage's face. "You knew, did you? About this magic? Even before you checked Umi and Fuu."

At this, the entire room focused on the lavender-haired man. "I can't say I didn't know about it," he sighed. "I really could only tell that there was something strange present, something not of Cephiro. But because of the situation at hand with the other three worlds, I didn't have time to look into it. Eventually, I suppose I just forgot about it for the most part."

"Clef-san?" Fuu spoke up. "Do you know of any other Rune Gods besides the three that Hikaru-san, Umi-san, and I have?"

"No," the Mage said slowly. "The only three _true_ Rune Gods in existence are the three you have been chosen by."

"But then," Umi caught onto Fuu's line of thinking, "What was the Rune God Hikaru was fighting?"

"I don't know. There has been something ominous lurking in the air since word of Emeraude-hime's death spread. It's only grown stronger as Cephiro continues to crumble…"

 _'Could we have more to deal with than just the invading worlds?'_ Fuu and Umi looked at one another worriedly.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	15. Pulling Back

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Yup, another.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Pulling Back-Oo**

Kagome shot up from her bed when she felt a tugging sensation.

 _'Something's wrong,'_ minty eyes narrowed. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the link she had to the bracelets she made for the three girls. The link to Umi and Fuu were still strong, but the link she had to Hikaru worried her the most. The connection to her cousin wavered and flickered as if she was teetering between life and death.

 _'Not on my watch!'_ Kagome sat cross-legged and brought her reiki to the surface. Focusing the energy into the connection she had with Hikaru, she _pulled_ on it.

Delving deeper into the link, Kagome sensed something else tethered to Hikaru's soul, something faint and on the edge of death itself draining her life force. With a growl, Kagome forced more of her own energy into the connection and formed a barrier around Hikaru's soul as strong as she could make it.

She felt the Other trying to break through the barrier, trying to get to Hikaru. With an annoyed grunt, she pulsed her energy at the Other, pushing it away. But the Other wouldn't be deterred.

It took two more lashings from Kagome's reiki for the Other to finally stay away from Hikaru and fade away.

With the glow receding from her body, the ravenette fell back onto her bed. "Seriously," Kagome panted, "When I find out who dragged these girls into situations like this, thy'd better watch out! Do they _know_ how tiring this is?!"

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	16. A Possibility

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Sorry this took a while to get out, but things were piling up on me and I was stressing so much that I crashed...

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-A Possibility-Oo**

"I wish I could help…" Hikaru murmured to Mokona as she watched her friends take off in pursuit of Fahren and Chizeta.

Caldina and Presea gazed at the melancholic teen. "I know, but…ya could do 'em a lot more good by stayin' here and restin' up," the pink-haired dancer placed a hand on Hikaru's shoulder.

"Puu!" Mokona cooed from his place within the fiery-haired girl's arms.

Presea gazed at the downhearted girl. She hesitated before asking, "Hikaru…what would you say if I knew of a way to get your sword back?"

Ruby eyes widened, hope shining bright in them. "Can you? I'd do anything to get my sword back! I want to help protect Cephiro! I want to fight with my friends and protect everyone!"

The Pharle smiled at the determination the younger girl showed. "Then I think I know of a way to help you with that."

"Can ya really do that?" Caldina asked. "I heard that when Escudo weapons are gone, they're gone!"

"It's true that when the weapon is gone, the owner will soon follow," Presea nodded. "But Escudo isn't called the strongest ore in Cephiro for no reason. Unless they are completely decimated, Escudo-forged weapons are often left behind by their owners after they perish."

"But what about all that stuff about Escudo creatin' bonds?" the Chizeta native put a finger to her cheek. "If the owner's gone, wouldn't the weapon go, too?"

"Not quite." The blacksmith led them over to a small couch in the corner of the throne room. "When the test within the fountain of Eterna is passed, a bond is created between the mineral and the person who obtained it. When the weapon is used and evolves as you grow, the bond strengthens, but only to one end."

"One end?" Hikaru parroted as Caldina raised an eyebrow.

"The link from you to your weapon would have grown stronger because _you_ were reliant on the _weapon_. The weapon, however, is only a tool and not capable of relying on anything; it wouldn't have a reason to bond to you beyond the basic link. When whatever was forged from the Escudo is broken, the owner will die, only because of that one-way connection they had to it."

"I'm getting' the feelin' a 'but' is comin' in there soon…"

"You're right, Caldina. Weapons forged from Escudo can't be _owned_ by anyone else. They will work for someone when _borrowed_ , but they will never belong to one that isn't their original bondmate. Hikaru, do you remember when you and your friends first came to Cephiro, and _borrowed_ the swords and arrows you three used to get through the Forest of Silence?"

"Uh-huh!"

"That entire armory was full of many weapons, some of which were made of Escudo and left behind by their original holders. The weapons that chose you three were also made of Escudo and sensing the strength within you all, they allowed you to use them until you gained your own partners. But they returned right back to me as I was their caretaker as soon as your quest was through."

"I think I get it…"

"Wait a minute!" Caldina broke in. "Then how are we supposed to get Hikaru's sword back? You said that Hikaru shouldn'ta lived, but here she is! So what do we do now?"

"It's true that this situation is odd in itself," Presea admitted. "But there have been situations where something forged from Escudo was very _nearly_ destroyed. If the item isn't broken and the wielder is still alive, there is a way to mend it and the bond with its holder."

"But Hikaru's sword isn't just 'nearly broken', it's totally gone!" the dancer threw her arms up in exasperation.

"And she should have died!" the Pharle retored. "However, Hikaru is still with us, so I think there might be a way to return her sword to her!"

"How?" the teen asked.

"When an item forged of Escudo is still repairable," the blacksmith explained, "a technique is used to access the bond between the item and the holder. By mending the bond, the weapon will be mended as well, allowing the holder to survive. Your weapon is gone, but you survived, so your part of the bond should still exist within you. Using that connection, there is a good chance that you would be able to regain your sword. It will mean looking into your heart."

"I'll do it," Hikaru replied right away, much to the womens' surprise.

"A-Are ya sure, missy? Ya don't wanna think a bit?" Caldina stuttered out. "Lookin' into a person's heart and soul ain't no lil'thing!"

"But I want to do it," the ruby-eyed girl stood by her decision. "I won't sit around and let everyone around me fight to protect Cephiro while I sit around doing nothing! Umi-chan, Fuu-chan, and I came back to make a difference this time around! I can't do that if I can't fight! If I have to let someone into my heart and soul to do it, I will!"

"Puu! Puuuu!" Mokona's ears flapped as a sign of approval.

Presea nodded with a sigh. "Then I'll introduce you to the person who will help you. Come on." She walked out the large doors with the other three following her.

"Ya mean, ya can't do it?" Caldina asked.

"No," the Pharle said. "I can only _forge_ Escudo into the items they become. Repairing them is not something within my power."

"Then who's going to help me?" Hikaru piped up this time.

"The only person in Cephiro who can: My little sister, Sierra."

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	17. The Little Sister

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: It's short, but I got another one out! ;)

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-The Little Sister-Oo**

Hikaru, Mokona, and Caldina could only stare blankly at the person standing beside the Pharle.

"Hikaru," Presea introduced, "This is my younger twin sister, Sierra. She's a Pharle just like me, but our skill sets differ in terms of what we can do."

"I can see the resemblance!" Caldina whistled. "Name's Caldina, nice ta meetcha!"

"H-Hajimemashite!" Hikaru bowed with Mokona still in her arms. "My name is Shidou Hikaru!" She looked up in awe at Presea's sister.

The young woman looked exactly like the Pharle they'd come to know so well. There were only two major differences. Where Presea wore an tunic under a cream outer robe, Sierra wore a soft yellow tunic under a cream outer robe. The other detail that set her apart from her older twin was that her hair was worn in a thick braid down her back.

"It's a pleasure to meet you all," Sierra greeted with a smile. "I've heard so much about you from my sister, especially you, Hikaru!"

"Can you do it, Sierra?" Presea looked at her sister after explaining the situation.

Hikaru looked at the new individual pleadingly.

The younger Pharle's face fell into a grim expression.

"I've fixed many items forged from Escudo," Sierra said seriously, "But this is a dangerous situation, if only because it's something that's never happened before. I'm sure that my sister explained the properties and costs of not just obtaining Escudo, but wielding something forged from it?"

Hikaru and Caldina nodded as Mokona cooed from the teen's arms.

"Then you understand the oddity of these circumstances?" Sierra continued. "I can try to help you regain your sword, Hikaru, but it won't be an easy process, as I've never had to actually _bring back_ an item that was _destroyed_. Because this is a delicate and unknown situation, I don't know what will happen. Often when I must repair a weapon of Escudo, the wielder must prove themselves worthy of wielding it. It's possible you might face a trial like that."

Sierra looked the teen straight in the eye. "Are you sure you want to do this? I will need to look into your heart, your very soul; are you willing to trust me? Are you willing to risk your very _life_ just to reclaim your sword?"

"Yes!" Hikaru nodded.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	18. So it Begins

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Hi, sorry for the late update, but professors aren't exactly the nicest when it comes to homework or projects. Besides that, I have some other responsibilities that I need to take care of, so all in all, I'm just a big old happy ball of stress.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-So it Begins-Oo**

 _'I believe Presea and Sierra, but…can I really get my sword back?'_ Hikaru thought as she sat waiting for the younger Pharle. Ruby eyes blazed with determination. _'I want to fight to save Cephiro, to protect it and everyone here! I_ will _get my sword back; I_ will _fight with Rayearth again no matter what!'_

"PuuPuu! PuuPuuPuu?" Mokona chirped, starling the teen as he bounced into her arms. "WA—Mokona? What are you doing here?"

"He wanted to stay with you through this," Sierra spoke as she entered the room. "I knew how worried he was, so I let him in."

"Even though I told her not to let that troublemaker in here," Presea grumbled, pulling the door shut behind her. "That white ball of fluff is just going to cause a world of trouble, I just know it!"

"Puu~" Mokona cooed at the older Pharle in a sly tone. His ever unchanging face even managed an expression to match.

"Why you—!" Presea's eye twitched as she stomped towards the long-eared creature in Hikaru's arms.

"Ah, Presea!" The younger Pharle grabbed her sister around the waist to stop the impending murder of Mokona. "None of that now! You remember what we came here to do, right?"

"Boil that thing in oil and serve him on a platter!" Presea growled, a dark aura rising around her.

"I-I don't think Mokona would like that!" Hikaru giggled nervously, inching back from the angered Pharle.

"Presea! We're here to revive Hikaru's sword!" Sierra whined. "You can play with Mokona all you want when this is all over!"

"Oh, right," the elder Pharle remembered, her desire to punish Mokona disappearing immediately. "I almost forgot!" she chuckled.

Sierra and Hikaru slumped to the ground tiredly. "Presea…"

 ** _~AMatchOfTwoSouls~_**

"Is your heart truly prepared for this, Hikaru?" Sierra asked, as she took the younger girl's hands in her own. "Remember that once we begin, there is no turning back."

"I'm positive!" Hikaru nodded.

"Then relax," the younger Pharle said softly, a mesmerizing lilt to her voice. "Trust me…" She unclasped her outerwear to reveal a Grecian-styled dress exactly like Presea's. "Remember, your Will determines everything. Keep your wish in your heart, and believe in it with everything you have."

Long tendrils of fabric danced around the Pharle and Knight as the latter fell into a sleepy trance. The ribbons of fabric wound around Hikaru as they lifted her off the ground, a pale-cream glow overtaking her form.

 _'And so it begins…I wish you luck, Hikaru,'_ Sierra thought with a grim expression.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	19. Reliving a Painful Past

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Ah, this one was a little more difficult to write, so if there are any inconsistencies or if it just sounds downright strange, just bear with me. Because I didn't want to include Nova in my story (frankly, her character was just really unsettling to me, combined with the grim and dark atmosphere of the second season altogether and that turned out to be a bad combination), I had to improvise a bit.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Reliving a Painful Past-Oo**

"Where am I?" Hikaru looked around the dark space where she floated aimlessly. "Is this part of getting my sword back?"

A pinprick of light in the distance caught the teen's attention. "Huh? What's that?" with a little kick, she propelled herself towards the light. But the closer she tried getting to it, the farther away it seemed to be. "What do I do now?"

As if on cue, the light grew brighter, but instead of growing larger, it melted into a fiery road that began just below Hikaru's feet. She looked at the path cautiously, and although she was wary of stepping onto the winding trail, something in her heart pulled her to walk on it.

The moment the rubber soles touched the path, the flames died down to reveal a ruby stoned path. "I guess I have to follow now…" Hikaru murmured as she began down the road.

 ** _~AMatchOfTwoSouls~_**

The teen didn't know how long she'd been walking, but it felt like it'd been forever, and at the same time, not. She walked and walked, but the scenery was remained never-changing. Darkness was all that was there besides the ruby road that ran through it.

Suddenly, Hikaru was pulled to a stop. It might sound odd, but she literally could go no further than where she was. "What's going on?" she tried pulled her feet up, only to find them stuck tight to the ground. "My feet are stuck!"

But before Hikaru could do anything, a long silvery line expanded to create a large ornate mirror. "A mirror?" she reached out to touch the glass. A blinding light erupted from the mirror when Hikaru's fingers reached the mirror's surface.

Startled, the Knight of Fire brought her arms up to shield her eyes with a shout of surprise. "What's going on?!"

* * *

Hikaru opened her eyes to see a very familiar monument. "Tokyo Tower? Am I back home?" Just then, the scenery around her changed she found herself watching the events of the first time she and her friends came to Cephiro.

"That's right," Hikaru spoke, watching closely. "The sky lit up back then, but only when Umi-chan, Fuu-chan, and I came together. Does that mean that if we weren't together, that we wouldn't have been summoned? What would've happened if we weren't together?"

She watched the three of them fight together as they traveled through Cephiro, oblivious to the true reason they were called. "We fought together, even thought we didn't know each other at first. But we were all we had here in this other world and we became friends, best friends! Together, we were able to work together and do our best to come back home."

She paused.

"But I wonder…what would have happened if we weren't together? Would we have died so soon after coming here? Never being able to go back home to our families? Or would it be like we just disappeared? We made it, fighting, to the end because we were together. Umi-chan and Fuu-chan became my strength and really important friends! Sisters!"

 **"But what if—"** a voice whispered to Hikaru.

"—Umi-chan and Fuu-chan weren't there?" the teen finished, never noticing the other voice.

 ** _"What would have happened?"_** she said in tandem with the other voice.

The Knight of fire froze as she was snapped back into the darkness. Ruby eyes widened as she finally heard the second voice. A voice that was neither hers nor from anyone else she knew. "Who's there?" Hikaru demanded.

A dark chuckle echoed in the void, sending a shiver up Hikaru's spine. A deathly pale hand adorned with long red claws for nails shot out of the shadows and seized her face. "What the—!" a small cry was heard as the long nails of the hand dug into her face while forcibly turning her head.

Another mirror appeared, but unlike the previous one, this bore a darker, more corroded frame. **"Look and see the truth for yourself!"** The hand pushed Hikaru's face into the mirror as memories from the last leg of their journey in Cephiro played out.

 **"If those two hadn't been there, you wouldn't have had to suffer so much,"** the voice cooed to the Knight of Fire.

"That's not true!" Hikaru denied. "Things might've been hard, but I decided to keep on going! None of that was Umi-chan or Fuu-chan's fault!"

 **"But it was still difficult, wasn't it? You were hurt so many times…"**

"That's not—"

 **"Then think of it this way: If you never came to Cephiro, you would never have had to go through that pain. If you were never summoned here, you would never have suffered as you did."**

"It was hard," Hikaru conceded. "But because the three of us were together we—"

 **"Then there was him,"** the voice spoke softly as memories of fighting Zagato and his defeat played out. **"You killed him, didn't you?"**

"Zagato…" the teen trailed off.

 **"You never wanted to commit such an act, did you?"**

"Back then, I was pretending to be a hero. I didn't know why Zagato started that war or how he really felt. I thought I was doing the right thing! I never knew it was going to end as badly as it did!"

 **"Yes, you never knew the truth. But you still killed him, didn't you? And he wasn't the only person you killed, was he?"**

"Emeraude-hime…"

 **"You killed the Princess, too, didn't you? And just moments after the three of you took the life of the one she loved!"**

Hikaru sobbed as the memories of the final moments in Cephiro were shown. _'How can I forgive myself after doing something like that? Why didn't we ever_ ask _for more information? For the_ truth _?'_

 **"Your heart was wounded,"** the voice murmured softly. **"The pain you felt dug deep into your kind heart. You never wanted to feel such pain, did you?"**

The final memory was shown. The memory of when the three girls were returned to the place they'd left, embracing each other as they cried for the Princess and her love, for the acts they committed in their ignorance.

 **"You never wanted to believe it was all real, did you? You wanted to believe it was all a dream. But how could you? That _adventure_ you and your friends had wasn't something that could just be made up."**

"No…Stop! STOP!"

 **"It was hard, wasn't it?"** the memories began flowing in reverse. **"You became involved in a war that you had nothing to do with. Your heart was damaged in the process! Cephiro's pillar involved you by bringing you here! If it wasn't for her, you wouldn't have been hurt, isn't that right? Then why protect the land the Princess supported and loved?"**

"Cephiro…Emeraude-hime…Zagato…" the teen whispered brokenly.

 **"Come to me, Hikaru, and you will never have to feel such pain ever again. Come to me and you can forget this all ever happened. Come to me, Hikaru. Come…"**

"I—I—" Hikaru didn't know what to do. It was true that all she wanted to do was forget she had killed Princess Emeraude and Zagato. It was true that she didn't want to hurt anymore. _'But what should I do?'_

Her eyes drooped as she felt the clawed hand removed from her face as it began stroking through her long fiery locks.

 _'What should I do?'_

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	20. Complications

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Short little interlude of sort, to show what's going on outside, plus it's a bit of a gateway into what I'll be writing next.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Complications-Oo**

"No," Sierra gasped. She looked up at Hikaru, whose body had been engulfed in a fiery-red glow. The teen's expression turned pained as a dark aura traveled up the girl's form. "Hikaru, don't! Don't go with her!"

"Puu Puu," Mokona frowned fearfully.

"Sierra, what's going on?" Presea asked worriedly, watching the form of the girl she'd become fond of.

"I don't know!" the younger Pharle shook her head. "Someone has interfered! Their magic bled into the spell! I don't know who it is!"

"Can you help Hikaru?"

"This is essentially Hikaru's trial, I'm not allowed to help, no matter how much I may want to! It's not my place."

"So we're just supposed to let her suffer?" Presea shouted.

"No!" Sierra denied. "We just need to believe in her! We just need to believe that she will get through this!"

"Puu~" Mokona cooed at Hikaru's form. He'd noticed what the two Pharles had not. A small glow coming from her wrist just underneath her sleeve.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	21. Plunging into Darkness

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Okay, I _do_ apologize for not updating in a while, but I've had some stuff going on. Between getting my wisdom teeth out and being a half day's from loopy, art projects I have to complete for an exhibition, my own picture books, schoolwork, and other things my dad left for me to do. It's just been really hectic and left me very little time to write, let alone post, though the latter would be the fault of the new internet provider my dad switched to since the stupid connection keeps going out every ten minutes or so. I _told_ him not to take that internet service, but does he listen to me? _Nooooo!_

BAH! Sorry about that rant, but things have been piling up to the point where I'm just ready to crash… Anyway, I think this chapter turned a tiny bit longer than I thought it would, maybe shorter, not too sure, I wasn't really paying attention as I wrote. Unfortunately, Kagome won't be appearing here just yet. She will, don't worry about that, but not just yet. And as for her meeting Lantis, well, that won't happen for some time, actually.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Plunging into Darkness-Oo**

 **"You will never worry again, Hikaru,"** the voice said soothingly. Long-clawed hands pulled the teen into a dark, robed body. **"Stay here and you will never face such hardships again…"**

"What about Umi-chan and Fuu-chan?" Hikaru asked slowly, ruby eyes blank. "They're my friends; we fought together in Cephiro."

 **"Is that true? Are you quite sure?"** the woman, as Hikaru realized, replied. **"Look back, my dear, and tell me just what they've done for you."**

Blank ruby eyes widened as a memory played out before them.

 ** _~AMatchOfTwoSouls~_**

-Flashback-

 _"Emeraude-hime…" Hikaru murmured as she looked into the sky with wistful ruby eyes. She let out a sound of alarm when she was suddenly hugged from behind. "Don't you dare start crying," she heard a familiar voice say and turned around._

 _"After all, everything that happened was your fault," Umi finished with a rueful smile._

 _"Umi-chan…?" Hikaru asked hesitantly._

 _"If you hadn't been there at Tokyo Tower that day," Fuu spoke this time, "We would never have been summoned to Cephiro in the first place."_

 _"Fuu-chan…?" the fiery-haired teen looked sadly at the blonde girl she called her friend._ 'Umi-chan, Fuu-chan? Why? We promised that no matter what, we'd be there for each other. We'd stay together and fight together the same way we fought to become to Magic Knights!'

The memory shifted to a moment just before the trio set off to meet Eagle of Autozam for the first time since appearing back in Cephiro.

 _"And now more than ever, we need to stand together and fight as one," Hikaru told Umi and Fuu from her place inside Rayearth._

 _"No a chance," Umi said easily._

 _"I concur," Fuu turned up her nose._

 _"But, Umi-chan, Fuu-chan…?"the Knight of Fire choked out._

 _"There are three Rune Gods in the legend," Umi spoke. "And there are three of us. So if the three of us hadn't gone to Tokyo Tower that day, if you hadn't been there, we wouldn't have been dragged to Cephiro by the Pillar!"_

 _"I just don't see the point in saving a world that isn't our own," the Knight of Wind shook her head. "There simply isn't any point to it. What do we owe Cephiro that we should save it? This land caused us nothing but pain and grief, so we should we save it?"_

 _"But—"_

 _Fuu cut off the fiery-haired girl. "Cephiro isn't the land we were born in, let alone our home, so why should we care? Whatever happens to this world isn't our concern, Hikaru."_

'Hikaru?' _ruby eyes widened when she heard how the blonde knight addressed her._

 _"I just want to get back home to Tokyo," Umi said bitterly. "I want to forget this place and everything that happened here. The past is in the past and that's where it should be left!"_

 _"Don't say that!" Hikaru burst out. "Don't you dare say that!"_

* * *

-Crystal Palace-

"What's going on?" Presea asked her sister. They watched in awe as Hikaru's fiery-hued aura slowly started pushing out the darkness that had been wrapped about her. "What's happening to Hikaru?"

"I-I don't know!" Sierra cried out. "I've never done this with a weapon that was destroyed—" She looked at Hikaru's form once more and a jolt of realization shot through her. A smile slowly crossed her lips, "She's fighting it…"

"What?"

"Whatever has a hold of Hikaru, she's fighting it!"

Neither sister noticed the gem on Mokona's head flash a bright gold. "Puu Puuuuuu~!"

* * *

 _"Even if we wanted to, we could never forget the battle that began when we were summoned to Cephiro!" Hikaru said strongly. "And it's because of that, we decided to promise to fight for Cephiro with all our hearts to whatever end this journey takes us! I will keep my promise and I know that Umi-chan and Fuu-chan would do exactly the same!"_

 _Ruby eyes were no longer blank as they glowed with an inner fire that had been lost since her sword had been broken. "And this is why I know none of this is real!"_

 ** _~AMatchOfTwoSouls~_**

The memory shattered, leaving Hikaru standing in a brightly lit space. **"I see, you trust them that much?"** the woman stated, her silhouette just barely standing out from the blackness. **"Then…what about him?"**

A clawed hand swished elegantly in the air before Hikaru. Strands of dark vapour slithered up and about to create the form of someone she knew. A person she'd felt an inexplicable connection to since their first meeting.

"E-Eagle?" Hikaru gasped, taking a step back.

 **"You're in love with this invader, aren't you?"** the voice cooed, stroking the taller man's face. **"You care for this man in a way that is much different than how you care for your _friends_. The type of care might differ, but it is still love, wouldn't you say?"**

Long red nails lifted Eagle's chin up towards where Hikaru assumed this woman's face was. **"Tell me, Eagle Vision of Autozam: How do you feel about little Hikaru?"**

"The Magic Knights destroyed part of my brother's heart by taking _his_ brother from him," Eagle answered blankly. "They were weak to not have been able to help the land they were called to and instead threw it into ruin."

Ruby eyes filled with tears. Hikaru felt her heart breaking with each word the light-haired man uttered. "I-I…"

 **"Do you _love_ this girl?"**

With a cry, Hikaru covered her ears, unable to bear the rejection that would no doubt spill from his mouth. _'He hates me! He hates me for what I did to Lantis, for what I did to Zagato!'_ So caught up in those thoughts, she never noticed the cracks emerging from beneath her feet.

She shrieked in fear and surprise when the ground gave way, leaving her to plunge into the dark abyss below.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	22. To Take a Chance

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Yay, I got another one up! It's short, but it should still be well enough I think.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-To Take a Chance-Oo**

"No! NO! Hikaru!" Sierra pleaded with the girl, even if she possibly couldn't hear them. "Don't lose faith! Remember your wish!"

"Sierra, what's happening with Hikaru now?" Presea asked, clutching Mokona a little tigher in her arms. They watched in fear as the dark aura that had faded came back even stronger than before. "You said she was fighting back! What's happened to change that now?"

"Whoever is interfering must have shown Hikaru something she wasn't ready to see, something hadn't quite realized for herself," the younger Pharle bit her lip. "That's the only thing I can think of."

"Can't you do something to help her?" Presea asked urgently.

"Puu-Puu!"

"I can't directly interfere and with a situation as unique as this, I don't know what could happen…"

"Then take a chance! We can't just sit around doing nothing!"

Sierra thought for a moment before letting out a small sigh. "I could try…but I don't know if it'll work. Hikaru's situation is very delicate and much different than anything I've ever seen. I don't know how it'll affect her or the trial."

"What do you need to do?" Presea asked hesitantly.

"When repairing a weapon or tool made of Escudo, I'm not to interfere directly with the trial," the younger Pharle explained. "But I _might_ be able offer a bit of assistance. I won't be able to see what is happening, but I can try to help Hikaru's soul push out the darkness trying to infect her."

"Then do it!" Presea urged her younger sister.

"It's not that simple!" Sierra burst out. "I said that I _might_ be able to help. As this is a trial to fully revive a broken weapon, I don't even know if it will work!"

"Puu! Puu-Puu-PUUUUU!" Mokona cooed with a surprisingly stern face.

"I think Mokona wants you to take that chance," Presea smiled down at the usually annoying creature in her arms. "After all, we won't know if something will work unless we try, right? So take the chance and see what happens."

She sighed and looked at the fiery-haired girl within the mass of darkness surrounding her. "Someone with a heart as strong and kind as hers shouldn't have had to go through any of this. But she still wanted to fight for Cephiro despite everything that happened last time, despite not being told the entire truth of the Legend of the Magic Knights. Umi and Fuu are wonderful girls, but I've seen how they are together. Hikaru is the heart and soul of their little group and to lose her would be to lose them all."

"So do what you must," the elder Pharle told her sister. "Even if it doesn't work the way you want it to, try and take the chance to help Hikaru."

Sierra looked at her sister for a moment. "Very well…"

She closed her eyes and hummed.

Her sister was right. Even if it didn't work, trying and failing was better than not having tried at all.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	23. Loving Warmth

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Okay, I know it's been a bit annoying not seeing Kagome appear just yet, but it really wasn't time for her to come in. Besides, I had to set a foreground before bringing Kagome in, hence all the chapters and the like with the girls in Cephiro. As for Kagome getting with Lantis, that's not coming until a tiny bit later, much to my annoyance, but what's done is done I suppose.

Anyway, this chapter's a bit longer than I thought it would've turned out to be, but I think it's because of how this was arranged and what was included. Kudos to whoever figures out the song I used! ;3

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Loving Warmth-Oo**

Hikaru awoke to find herself lying atop a rough, rocky surface. Craters and boulders, rock formations and spikes were strewn about in every direction possible. The sky was clouded in a dark-grey with flashes of red and black running through it.

"Where am I?" she asked herself. A soft murmur echoed around the barren space, catching the fiery-haired teen's attention. "Who is it?" The noise became louder, but the words were even more muddled than before. "Hello?"

 **"Hello, my little Magic Knight,"** the woman from before spoke, drowning out the other voice as a figure stepped out, seemingly from the sky itself. **"You are well rested, I trust?"**

"Wh-Who are you?" Hikaru stuttered out as she slid back, unable to get up. She took in the form of the woman who'd always been cloaked in darkness before this. "What do you want from me?"

The tall woman before her wore a tattered black dress with bony ornaments, highlighting her ghostly complexion. A web-like cloak fell down her back and trailed behind her. Obsidian eyes filled with contempt stood out from an oval face. Ashen-blue hair was pulled tight onto her head with a bone headdress. Long spider-like fingers each tipped with equally long red talon-esque nails traced the air with a sense of false mischief.

 **"I am the beginning of the end and the end that is the beginning,"** blood-red lips spread into a cruel imitation of a smile. **"As for what I want? I thought that would be rather obvious, my dear.** _"_ She reached out a long arm and caught Hikaru's chin in her long talons and brought her in close.

 **"Your _sorrow_. Your _fear_. Your _heart_. I want _you_ , little Hikaru,"** she whispered into the teen's ear.

* * *

-Crystal Palace-

"No!" Sierra cried out as she was thrown back by the darkness whipping about Hikaru's body.

"Sierra!" Presea ran over to her sister after setting Mokona down. "What happened? Are you alright?" The younger Pharle groaned as rested against her sister. "Sierra, what just happened?"

"It didn't work," Sierra explained with a grunt of pain. Her sister helped her into a seat within the room and looked sadly at Hikaru's form. "The darkness that has a hold of Hikaru is too strong for me to break through. She is alive and her heart still stands strong, but with each passing moment, it's weakening."

"So what does this mean for Hikaru?"

The younger Pharle looked to her sister before turning her eyes back onto the floating teen. "It's all up to Hikaru now. She'll need to find a way to get herself out of the darkness' grasp. The most we can do now is believe in her."

"Hikaru…"

Neither sister saw the jewel on Mokona's flash gold once again. Nor did they take notice of the attentive expression on his face.

 ** _~AMatchOfTwoSouls~_**

-The Throne Room-

Clef fell to his knees with a grunt. _'What is this wicked presence I feel? It feels so similar to what to what I've sensed within Cephiro lately.'_ He held onto his staff tightly, trying to get back up, but the sheer strength of the ominous presence he felt was enough to bring him back to the ground.

"Guru Clef!" the slam of the now open doors caught the Mage by surprise. He turned up bright-blue eyes to the form of his former student followed by his fairy companion.

"L-Lantis?" Clef panted out as the Cail helped him up into a seat. "W-What are you doing here?"

"I felt the dark presence within the castle," the armoured male answered. "I needed to see if I was the only one who felt it, so I came to you. Do you know what this is? Where it's coming from?"

The lavender-haired man shook his head. "I've felt a strange and terrible presence within Cephiro for a while now. It began just after Emeraude-hime's…passing." His eyes dulled at the memory. "And it has only grown stronger. I don't know who or what it could be. Only that it's dangerous, not just to us, but also those who seek to become the new Pillar."

Cobalt eyes hardened at the last word, but still Lantis said nothing. "Then what can we do? Cephiro crumbles a little more with each day that goes by. The road to the Pillar hasn't revealed itself, neither to any of us nor to the others who seek it as they venture further into our world."

(AN: Okay, I know that some people are going to get on about Lantis' eye colour, so I'm going to make it clear right here. It was only in the _anime_ that Lantis had violet eyes just like his brother. The _manga_ portrays him with blue eyes that aren't totally dark, but neither are they totally light. The manga also shows in some coloured illustrations, at least in the volumes I have, that despite being brothers and looking very much alike, that's all they shared since Zagato was the one with violet eyes and Lantis the blue, not counting the whole age/hair difference.)

Clef could only close his eyes in resignation, having no answer he could provide. _'I know, Lantis, I know. I've tried so hard to find the Road to the Pillar, but what more can I do besides protect the of this world? A world where the Will of one is the only support and protection it has. A world that can never be_ truly beautiful _so long as the life of one is sacrificed for it…'_

* * *

"N-No!" Hikaru shouted, mustering the strength to shove herself out of the woman's clutches. "Leave me alone!"

 **"Why should I?"** the woman lashed out at the teen with a whip of dark energy. **"You are my greatest strength and you don't even know it! Why would I give up something so _delicious_?"**

The fiery-haired teen let out a cry of pain as she was thrown back into a boulder. _'I'm her greatest strength? I'm helping her? How?'_ she thought weakly. _'If I'm somehow helping_ her _, then doesn't that mean that I'm hurting the place I promised to_ protect _? That I'm hurting the ones I_ love _?'_

The ghastly woman cackled as she reached out a hand and speared Hikaru's prone form with bolts of dark lightning. **"Won't you give in, Hikaru? Stay with me and you'll never have to feel weak again! I can give you all the power you want, as long as you stay with me!"**

 _'I-I—'_ Hikaru didn't know what to do. Her body ached from the bolts directed at her. Her will to fight faded with each reminder that she was somehow helping this evil woman. _'What do I do?'_ she thought back to the one person who cared for her and understood her despite all the secrets Hikaru held. _'Neechan…'_

The bracelet on her wrist let out a burst of blinding periwinkle light.

* * *

-Crystal Palace-

Presea and Sierra gasped when they felt a pulse of magic leave Hikaru's form. It was strange, how warm and comforting it was, this new magic. "What's going on?" the younger Pharle whispered, looking at Hikaru's form.

The teen's body was engulfed in a periwinkle glow that seemed to be holding the darkness at bay. The whipping dark aura that had been all but a maelstrom around the fiery-haired girl had been repelled into submission. The warm light around Hikaru's form continuously held the darkness at bay as it tried to get back to the scarlet-haired girl.

"Puu…" Mokona cooed softly.

"I've never seen anyth—Do you hear that?" Presea asked suddenly.

"Hear what?" Sierra tilted her head, trying to hear whatever her sister was hearing. At first there was nothing, but then a bell-like voice rang out, growing louder with each passing second.

 _Haru ni saku hana  
Natsu hirogaru sora yo_

"Puu!" Mokona cooed excitedly seeing the glow around Hikaru's wrist.

 _Kokoro no naka ni  
Kizamarete kirameku_

"It's a miracle," Sierra whispered as she spotted the darkness slowly being purified bit by bit.

 ** _~AMatchOfTwoSouls~_**

-Gardens-

 _Asa ni furu ame  
Mado o tozasu hi ni mo_

Ascot looked up from the basket where he'd been piling fruit into. It wasn't something he'd wished to be doing right now, but he felt restless. And as much as he wanted to go and help Umi, he didn't want another sleeping spell being put on him by Caldina. _'I'll just have to wait for the right moment…'_

"I wonder who's singing," the Beast Summoner mused to his creature friends. They, too, had been captivated by the voice and had stopped to listen. "What the—" it was then that they all felt a soothing pulse run through them. "Was that…magic?" Ascot whispered. _'I've never felt magic like that before…'_

 _Mune ni afureru hikari wa  
Kumo no ue_

"Well, ain't that just the prettiest voice ya ever heard?" Caldina smiled as she listened. She'd come to keep an eye on the Mage Apprentice after he'd awoken from his small nap.

"I haven't heard such a voice since…" Lafarga's voice trailed off as he remembered the former Pillar. "Who do you think it is?"

 ** _~AMatchOfTwoSouls~_**

-The Throne Room-

 _Yorokobi kanshimi  
Subete idaite aruite iru_

"Do you hear that?" Lantis asked, as he heard the voice echoing through the halls.

Clef only nodded, allowing a small smile to grace his face. "It's beautiful, isn't it?"

 _Watashi ni te o  
Kimi no te o  
Tsuyoku tsunagu mono_

Only when they felt the rush of magic that followed did they come to attention. "What was—" the only Cail of Cephiro placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, preparing to attack if need be. It didn't matter if the magic he'd felt wasn't malicious; it was unknown to him and so was deemed a threat.

"Stand down, Lantis," Clef waved at the armoured male. "Whatever this magic is, it won't harm anyone. This is the same magic I felt protecting Hikaru, Umi, and Fuu."

"But why now?" cobalt eyes turned onto the shorter man.

"The last time this magic appeared, was when Hikaru's sword was destroyed," Clef pondered. "Realistically, you understand that she should never have survived once it was destroyed. And yet she did, all because of that foreign magic I sensed protecting the three young women from another world. That magic was what kept Hikaru alive despite the severed bond. If we feel that magic now, I have to assume that it's here to protect again."

"But who would need…" Lantis' eyes widened as he remembered that Hikaru was undergoing a trial to revive her sword. "Hikaru?"

"It would be the only thing that makes sense," the Mage nodded, coming to the same conclusion. "The ominous presence we've felt must be trying to hurt Hikaru somehow. If it is, then that same magic that helped her before would surely do so again."

* * *

 _Aki wa mizube ni  
Fuyu kozue ni hisomu_

 _'I know that voice…'_ Hikaru thought as ruby eyes opened to connect with glowing minty ones she knew very well. "Neechan?"

 _Sekai no oku no  
Kagirinai yasashisa_

"What are you doing here?" the teen panicked. "You could get hurt! You need to go back home!" The glowing apparition that was Kagome only smiled softly as she continued to sing. "Neechan!"

 _Yoru ga kuru tabi  
Inori o sasageyou  
Ashita kuru hi o  
Shizuka ni mukaeyou_

"Neechan?" Hikaru questioned as she older girl pulled her into a gentle embrace, placing her head on top of her own. _'She feels so warm…'_

 _Watashi o michibiku  
Tooi tooi yobigoe yo  
Hohoemu you ni  
Utau you ni  
Hibiku kaze no oto_

 _'It's like she's trying to tell me something…'_ the teen thought. _'But what could it be?'_

 _Yorokobi Kanashimi  
Subete idaite aruite iru  
Watashi no te to  
Kimi no te o  
Tsuyoku tsunagu mono_

Ruby eyes widened as memories rushed through her mind.

 ** _"I have a feeling you'll be able to conquer your demons as long as you have hope and belief in yourself and your friends."_**

 ** _"From the moment we're born, Fate writes out the path we'll follow in life. It'll twist and it'll turn, but you'll learn and grow through those experiences."_**

 ** _"Everything that happens does because it was already meant to, regardless of choice. Everyday we're faced with choices from the smallest, simplest things to matters of great importance."_**

 ** _"There are no coincidences in this world, Hikaru."_**

"Do you understand now?" Kagome asked with a soft smile.

Hikaru nodded, the determined fire returning to her ruby eyes.

"Then remember your wish. Remember what you're fighting for, remember why you're here!"

"I do!" the fiery-haired teen all but shouted. "I _do_ remember my wish; I _do_ remember why I'm here. And I _especially_ remember why I'm fighting!"

 ** _~AMatchOfTwoSouls~_**

 **" _What_?"** the vile-looking woman hissed backing away from the periwinkle light engulfing Hikaru's form. **"What power is this?"**

The light shattered into thousands of tiny particles of light. There stood a healthy an whole Hikaru surrounded by a strong ruby aura. Compared to the broken and battered teen before, this girl was one whose spirit burned bright with determination and sheer will.

This was a girl who would never back down no matter how difficult circumstances became.

With a howl of rage, the woman robed in black and bone lashed out with another round of darkened lightning. Much to her shock and fury, her attacks only bounced off of Hikaru, a shield provided by the aura around her protecting her. **"How!"**

Fists clenched, the woman conjured blackened flames around her hands. **"Feeling a bit braver, are we? Why don't we see how you fare against your own power?"** She raised her hands and turned them onto Hikaru. **"Flame Arrow!"**

However, Hikaru remained unfazed. She only raised a hand, the flames dissipating on contact. "My turn," she clenched her fist, the fire beginning to spread around her hand, "Ruby Lightning!"

The woman screamed as she was pushed back by the burst crimson electric bolts. **"How? How is it you can muster the Will to fight again?"**

"Because I'll be going back," Hikaru spoke, "Back to my best friends, and back to the world I promised to protect."

 **"You'll never go back if I have anything to do about it!"** Long red talons reached out and sent blades of black energy crackling with deep-violet sparks flying towards the Knight of Fire.

The teen only raised her arm and swung it straight down, forming a wall of fire. The blades of energy that were sent towards Hikaru were absorbed into the flames as quick as they came. "I'm going back to fulfill the promise I made, not just to the people of Cephiro, but to fulfill the promise I made in my heart. I have too much to do and too many people counting on me to come back to just give up here and now!"

The robed woman could only snarl as she saw the twister of flames rise up around Hikaru's body. **"No!"** She watched as the teen raised her arm into the sky. The flames formed a fiery apparition of Rayearth's beastly before shifting to form her sword. The only difference right now was that the blade that usually shone silver was now a blade of pure energy.

"I _will_ go back, and no one, especially you, is going to stop me!" the Knight of Fire swung the sword, releasing a surge of energy that blasted the woman back.

"So long as fear reigns, Debonair will always be here!" the robed woman, now known as Debonair, screeched as she was driven out.

* * *

-Crystal Palace-

"She's done it," Presea wiped away the tears that had been flowing over her cheeks. She moved over to the falled figure of the fiery-haired girl and propped her up against herself. "She's safe and whole!"

"And she also has her sword back," Sierra sniffled. She gestured to the armour that had reappeared over Hikaru's uniform. "So what we came to do was done."

"Puu!" Mokona bounced happily.

"But, still, I wonder…" Presea murmured as she lifted the small girl into her arms, intent on taking her back to the room she shared with her friends. "Whose voice was it we heard? And what was that strange magic?"

"I've never felt anything like it before," the younger Pharle shook her head. "Magic users of Cephiro vary depending on their talent in the arts. But no matter what tpe they specialize in, the magic will always have a certain feel to it; this tells us that the magic is from Cephiro. But that magic just now…I've never felt anything so light and _pure_. Whatever it was, that type of magic isn't from anyone in Cephiro."

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	24. A Darkening Link

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: And yet another.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-A Darkening Link-Oo**

"Oh no," Kagome groaned, "Not again!"

Kagome felt another tugging, but this time, she didn't need to check on who was in trouble. Instinctively, she knew that it was Hikaru that needed support once more. Looking into the link, she felt Hikaru's will wavering as a darker, more malicious aura tried corrupting the girl. She shivered when she saw the similarities from when Naraku tried using Akago to take control of her.

"Okay, Naraku-wannabe," the ravenette hissed, "Let's show you what happens when you mess with family!"

Focusing on her reiki once more, Kagome began humming Hikaru's lullaby.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	25. Waking Up

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Not very long, unfortunately. :(

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Waking Up-Oo**

"Wh-Where am I?" Hikaru rasped as ruby eyes opened to see her friends sitting right by her side.

"Hikaru-san!" Fuu smiled, discreetly wiping away a few unshed tears.

"Hikaru!" Umi tackled the smaller girl into a tight hug. "You had us so worried!"

"Puu-Puu-Puuuuuu~!" Mokona cooed happily.

Hikaru gave a hoarse giggle and apologized. "How long have I been asleep? I don't remember much after…"

The other two Knights glanced at one another. "You've been out for about three days, Hikaru," Umi answered finally.

"What happened, exactly, Hikaru-san?" Fuu asked. "Presea-san and Sierra-san told us something went wrong when you tried getting your sword back."

"They said since they couldn't see into your trial, they didn't know what was going on in there," Umi helped her friend sit up. "So what happened?"

"Well," Hikaru hugged a happy Mokona close to her, "After Sierra cast the spell, I was in this dark place. Then a road just appeared, glowing and red and so bright! So then…" Fuu and Umi listened carefully to their friend's story, mentally analyzing for any details that were important, even if Hikaru didn't know it.

"But then, when Debonair attacked, Neechan came and helped!" the fiery-haired girl grinned at the memory. "She sang that lullaby that she's sung to me since I was little. She helped me remember why I came back to Cephiro. And after that, I just blasted Debonair out of the way with my sword. The next thing I know, I'm waking up in our room with you three here."

"Kagome-neesan was there?" the blonde teen latched onto that piece of information.

"Yup!"

"Are you sure it wasn't just your imagination?" the blunette felt her friend's forehead for any sign of fever, just in case.

"Nuh-uh! I know my Neechan, and it was _definitely_ her!"

"But that can't be right," the Knight of Water protested. "Kagome-nee's back on Earth, remember? And the only way to get here to Cephiro is to be summoned!"

"We also need to take into account for the lack of magic on Earth as well," the Knight of Wind added. "Perhaps since Kagome-neesan means so much to you, and with Cephiro being land governed by the Will, the Heart, you were just shown what you wanted to see the most?"

The fiery-haired girl deflated a bit. "I guess you could be right," she conceded. "But, I still can't sake the feeling that Neechan was really there, and I mean, _really there_ for a minute. I know it sounds crazy, but I know my Neechan and it had to be here."

The Knights or Wind and Water still looked skeptical. But they had to concede that in a world like Cephiro, the impossible could actually be possible. Maybe Kagome really was there? Maybe she wasn't. The point still remained that someone or something had helped the girl they saw as their little sister.

A knock sounded on the door. "Come in!" Hikaru called.

"Oh, you're awake!" Presea smiled, carrying a tray of sliced fruit and tea, Sierra right behind her. "How are you doing?"

"Great!" Hikaru nodded happily.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	26. More Questions than Answers

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: I LIVE! Well, technically, speaking, I just got time to write more now, though how often I'll be able to post is still up in the air because I've been getting called into work more often.

I _do_ apologize for not updating any of my stories, not just this one, for heaven knows how long. I have university, work (lots more of it since I got promoted), family, and just generally dealing with whatever gets hurled my way. It's been nothing but stressful and getting any form of down time is apparently too much to ask for.

Well, the chapter turned out longer than I thought it would, but I hope it made sense… At least it did when I thought it out, but writing it and seeing it are two different matters…

Now, as far as the episodes go, I need to explain something that's going to sound a little strange without some context.

If memory serves correct, in the anime, Umi and Fuu were taken aboard the Chizeta's Bravada and Fah'ren's Dragon _after_ Hikaru's sword was repaired. However, I'm making it so that Umi and Fuu were taken just before Hikaru began the process to retrieve her sword.

Kagome won't have appeared to Fuu and Um as she did with Hikarui, but there will be a little bit of her inserted into their times with Asuka and the twin princesses of Chizeta. I won't actually write about those moments, but they _will_ be mentioned.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-More Questions than Answers-Oo**

"This is…strange…" Clef mused. "You are _sure_ that Hikaru saw her…'cousin', I believe you said?"

With Hikaru resting and Mokona watching over her, the remaining Magic Knights met up with their friends in the throne room.

"Yes," Fuu nodded. "Hikaru-san told us that Kagome-neesan came to her when this Debonair person attacked her. According to Hikaru-san, Kagome-neesan sang a lullaby to Hikaru and helped her remember why she was in Cephiro."

"Wait a minute, you said she sang to Hikaru?" Ascot asked quickly.

"Yeah, why?" Umi looked at the Palu. She noted that everyone had tensed as soon as the chestnut-haired summoner asked his question. "Okay, what's going on?"

Everyone but the Magic Knights shared a glance with one another.

"We all heard a voice singing," Clef said finally. "While Hikaru was trying to get her sword back, a dark presence made itself known, much stronger than I'd ever felt it. But then, a surge of _pure_ magic pushed the darkness away."

" _Pure_ Magic?" Fuu whispered.

"I wasn't in the palace when to hear it," Ferio shook his head. "But I know about the magic. There were monsters getting too close to the palace, so I went down with a few others to get rid of them before they became a bigger nuisance."

"What happened?" The Knight of Water asked.

"We didn't need to raise a finger," The Prince of Cephiro said in awe. "There was this pulse of magic and the next thing we know, the horde of monsters was just a pile of ash!"

Silence descended upon the chamber. Expressions were pensieve and grim, some even thoughtful, but no one spoke. They didn't need to.

They all knew that whoever wielded such powers was a force to be reckoned with. Destroying monsters takes up energy, both physical and magical, but to reduce them to ash in a single strike was nothing short of awe-inducing.

"That _is_ amazing…" Umi remarked.

"Pardon my interruption," Fuu spoke up. "But if I may ask: How did this new magic _feel_ to you?"

"Warm."

"Soft."

"Comforting."

The blonde Knight hummed knowingly as the descriptions kept coming. "I suspected as much."

"You know something about it?" Ferio asked the girl he loved.

Fuu nodded at Ferio before turning to Umi. "Umi-san, while you were aboard the Bravada, did you by any chance feel something? Perhaps something warm like an embrace, soft and caring?"

Sapphire eyes blinked. "You know, know that you mention it, when I was fighting that tomboy Princess Tata, I felt something…encouraging me. Telling me not to give up."

"You heard someone speak to you?" Clef's eyebrow rose in askance. _'Tomboy?'_

Umi corrected him, "It was more like a feeling, not actual words." She looked to her friend. "Did something like that happen to you?"

"When Asuka-hime challenged me to a duel aboard The Dreamchild," the Knight of Wind told them, "There was a presence I felt. Like Umi-san, I _heard_ nothing, but I felt it telling me to remain calm."

"But what does this have to do with the magic we felt?" Caldina asked.

"She implies what we felt and what they felt are one in the same," Lantis spoke for the first time.

Clef nodded. "That may very well be the case. Everything seems to lead back to this Kagome person. You both said magic doesn't exist in your world, and yet here we have proof that it somehow does. How?"

Umi and Fuu looked at one another before shaking their heads. "We don't know," Umi said, "Magic _shouldn't_ exist in our world, not that we've seen, anyway. And we don't know yet if Kagome-nee is really involved in all this."

"I agree," Fuu added. "Cephiro is a world of Will, true there is no Pillar supporting it right now, but one's Will and Heart make all the difference here than it ever does in our world. We can't rule out the possibility that Cephiro somehow made all this possible, can we?"

"She's right," Acsot nodded. "For now, we need to focus on the real problem: Debonair. Who is she?"

"'I am the end of the beginning and the beginning that is the end'," Fuu quoted. "Hikaru-san said this is what Debonair said to her. But I'm afraid I don't know what it means."

"Wait, Hikaru also said that fear is what Debonair is after," Umi remembered. "Hikaru is the kind of person that will blame herself and become drepressed because of it. When that happens, she becomes almost severely depressed. Debonair tried getting Hikaru to feel completely hopeless so she'd give in to her."

"Could she be the source of the darkness I've sensed hanging over Cephiro?" Clef mused.

No one had an answer.

No one _could_ answer.

The worry they faced at the thought of fending off three invaders suddenly increased tenfold at the thought of an unknown and extremely powerful enemy.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	27. Stronger

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Okay, so I posted the three chapters about Autozam, Chizeta and Fahren before I realized I had a hole that I forgot to fill. So This chapter and the one after are going to be placed before those three chapters in order to fill that hole. This is just a heads up in case people read those three before reading this and the one after.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Stronger-Oo**

It was brief, their meeting.

All of a minute before Hikaru and Rayearth were evicted from the Road Eagle had created.

It certainly wasn't long enough for two people to get to know one another.

And yet, the connection they felt from their first meeting, only grew stronger in that small instance.

Eagle was drawn to the Magic Knight—a girl, he realized—inside the red Mashin. And just as he was drawn to her, so was Hikaru drawn to him. Not a single word passed their lips, but when their energies touched—his from the Road of his creation and hers from the magic she exuded—they knew they were connected.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	28. Mokona the Troublesome

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Aaaand here's the second piece of what I was missing! It's more lighthearted than truly plot-related, but it served its purpose, I think.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Mokona the Troublesome-Oo**

"This girl…" Presea sighed as Sierra replaced the damp cloth over Hikaru's forehead. "She's going to give me grey hairs before I'm old enough to have them!"

Caldina cackled. "That'll be a good look on ya, though!"

Sierra giggled as her sister glared at the dancer. "What possessed her to enter the Road of another?" she asked, soberly. "Never, not even in older texts have I ever found anyone entering the Road of someone else while looking for the Road to the Pillar!"

"I don't know," the Pharle shook her head. "But Hikaru…she can be just as perceptive as she is naïve. It's possible she had a reason and followed through with t—WAH!"

Sierra and Cladina blinked as Mokona appeared out of nowhere and tackled the swordsmith.

" _ **MoK** **o** **NA**_!" Presea growled, a dark aura rising up around her. "What do you think you're doing, you white menace!"

"Puuu!" Mokona cooed innocently.

The Pharle's eyebrow twitched. She quashed the urge to throttle the little white being and walked calmly back to Hikaru, intent on giving her the next dosage of medicine.

 _'Huh,'_ Sierra thought, _'She usually gets more worked up around Mokona. I guess she's learning to ignore him.'_

But just as Presea finished pouring a spoonful of lavender-hued liquid, Mokona struck.

"PUU-PUUUUU!" came Mokona's battle cry as he jumped up under Presea's hand, propelling it up and the spoon into her mouth.

Caldina and Sierra winced.

Unlike on earth where medcines could be found flavoured to mask the bitter taste of the drug, there was no such concept in Cephiro. Unless water or fruit was taken with a remedy, one would taste the bitterness of every herb and root used to concoct it.

Unfortunately for Presea, she had no fruit and whatever water was there in the room, was being used to tend Hikaru.

And so, the Pharle swallowed the liquid with a grimace.

"MOKONA!" she raged, giving chase behind the white ball of fluff.

 _'I stand corrected,'_ Sierra sweat-dropped.

Caldina had no compunctions and rolled on the floor with mirth.

No one saw the highly confused Ascot back out of the room, silently thinking that he would never understand women.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	29. The Resolution of a Little Princess

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Yay! I finally got this up! I _do_ apologize for not updating in a while, but it really couldn't be helped. I won't elaborate and bore you all with details, but let's just say that whatever free time I thought I'd have during break, didn't really come through and go as planned…

Now, this chapter is going to be a bit…out there. Asuka wasn't someone very elaborated on in neither the manga nor anime (not too surprising since the latter half of the manga only lasted three volumes). Her reasons for wanting to become the Pillar differ quite a bit in both adaptations.

I wanted to try for a small…experiment, of sorts, with this chapter. I wanted to see if I could add a little depth to Asuka's character, and I think I accomplished that a bit, but overall, Asuka's personality won't be as you all would remember. She's going to be more than a bit different from everyone's memory as far as either the manga or anime go, so this is just s head's up just in case anyone gets on my case about the not-so-childish personality being wiped off.

Now, SsangYong's (I think the name was interpreted as Sanyun if memory serves correct in both the anime and certain printings of the manga; the name I'm using is how it's interpreted in my omnibus volume, so please don't fry me for that!) age and that of Asuka's aren't exactly spelled out in bold for us to see anywhere. Appearance can be deceiving as far as CLAMP's art style goes, so I don't try to assume age on appearance.

Unfortunately, I'm going to have to do exactly that. The character scaling differs just slightly between the manga and anime, so that made it a bit more difficult as well. The average height of a 14-year-old Japanese female ranges from 5'1" to 5'2" (around 156 cm). Now, Asuka came up to just above Fuu's knees in the anime, taking CLAMP's art style from the manga into account as well as her personality/attitude, I'd estimate that Asuka's age falls somewhere around 8 to 10. Taking an in-between route, I will say that she is nine-years-old and SsangYong is the same age, give or take a few months.

Just as a heads up, there will very little dialogue in this chapter and perhaps another one or two after this! Plus, the tone of this will be a little…different. Definitely turned out longer than I thought it would, to say the least…

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-The Resolution of a Little Princess-Oo**

Princess Asuka looked at the Chákàn solemnly, her thoughts in disarray. Violet eyes roamed over the rocky fields and chasms. She flinched when a piece of the scenery broke off and disappeared.

(AN: The word, according to Google Translate since Chinese isn't on my to-learn list as of yet, means 'Viewing'. It's the best name I could figure for the viewing globe Asuka has on the Dreamchild.)

 _'So this is what Cephiro looks without a Pillar?'_ she thought sadly. _'A barren wasteland on the edge of destruction?'_ She remembered reading about a world with clear blue skies, lush fields, and dazzling seas. It was a world straight out of a dream where everything and everyone lived in peace. _'But the price for such a world…the previous Pillar must have been strong;_ so _strong to keep everything from becoming like this…'_

Asuka smiled ruefully.

The previous Pillar of Cephiro kept her world balanced to ensure the safety and happiness of her people. She literally took the weight of the world upon her to maintain peace.

And her?

All she wanted was to turn this place into a world of confections and keep the Mashin as her personal pets.

At least, that was what she wanted everyone to think.

As an orphaned princess growing up under the care of nannies and Chang'an, Asuka had heard many stories of her beautiful and kind mother, of her strong and just father. How Queen Jingyi's gentle nature placated even the most stubborn of delegates. How King Li's strength and faith in his people pulled them through difficult times.

But then, both had disappeared just after Asuka's birth.

And thus began the whispers.

Asuka heard the murmurs of servants and nobles. She heard the mutterings of her people. She didn't let on to anyone, but she heard _everything_.

Comparisons her to her parents.

Blaming her for their disappearance.

Believing her to be a curse.

At first, it had hurt. But as time went on, Asuka managed to create the perfect mask of a spoiled child who cared nothing for what others thought. Screaming when it was unnecessary, demanding everything possible, wanting so much to the point of

Unfortunately, this only seemed to give leave to others and the gossip only increased.

The only person who'd ever seen past the mask, the only person who'd ever _tried_ , was SsangYong.

Even when she behaved her worst and spoke spitefully, he never took it to heart. He always just _knew_ that she didn't like acting as she did. In return, he did everything he could to make her happy, just so she wouldn't have to keep up the pretense.

She supposed she could tell Chang'an about her troubles. But part of her held onto the fear that he might not believe her. After all, what reason would he have to believe the reckless princess who never paid attention to her lessons?

But she didn't have a choice.

The Council had decided to claim Cephiro in the name of Fahren the minute the barrier around the planet fell. At first, Asuka wanted to protest the invasion, but instead volunteered to lead the assault.

Truthfully, Asuka had never wished to invade Cephiro. She had no intentions of becoming the Pillar, contrary to what others thought. If anything, she wanted to stop the advance into the now desolate world, and what better way to do it than from the inside?

But she had to tread carefully.

Even if she wanted no part in a war, she had to play the part, to show that she'd done her best. So she fought the Mashin, she fought against Chizeta's Djinn and against Autozam's weapons. In the end, capturing the Knight of Wind, while not intentional, actually worked to her benefit.

The Magic Knight—Fuu, she reminded herself—had explained why becoming the Pillar wasn't a good idea. She explained how the Pillar of Cephiro shouldered an entire world on her shoulders and kept only thoughts of the world and her people's happiness in her heart.

She could love only Cephiro.

She couldn't love anything else.

She couldn't love _anyone_ else.

Asuka knew the servants, guards, Chang'an, and SsangYong had listened to the gentle Knight. She knew that what was said had made them all think, _really think_ about what they were doing. This was what she had been waiting for.

If they wouldn't listen to her, perhaps they would listen to someone who really knew what had happened.

Asuka loved her people, and she loved her kingdom, even if no one there thought much of her.

She loved Fahren.

It was as simple as that.

"Milady?" SsangYong asked, coming to stand beside her. "Is everything all right?"

"I've decided," she said softly, a sharp contrast to her usual antics.

SsangYong's eyes shone with resolve. "Then I will stand by you to the end, Lady Asuka. _"_

"Thank you, SsangYong," Asuka's eyes watered, but she let no tears fall. She took a deep breath and sat up straight and tall as she remembered her father did in his portraits. Her form was resolute and her face determined.

"Chang'an, Regent of Fahren," the Princess of Fahren spoke clearly.

The elder man startled at the commanding tone the young princess took and looked at her in surprise. Unbeknownst to him, so did the guards and maids in the chamber. He had to stop his jaw from dropping at the imposing image the usually loud-mouthed princess projected.

 _'She resembles her Lord Father very much,'_ Chang'an reminisced, _'But softened only slightly by her resemblance to her Lady Mother.'_

He bowed before her and spoke respectfully. "You called, My Lady Princess?"

"We have made our choice," Asuka told him. "Fahren will continue advance into Cephiro, however, We will not become Pillar of this world."

Gasps rung out through the chamber. The only ones who hadn't reacted were SsangYong who stood tall next to the Princess and Chang'an, who looked stupefied.

A bushy white brow rose in response. _'This is interesting,'_ Chang'an thought.

"But Princess—" one of the guards protested.

"Silence!" Asuka glared. "It was not Our choice to invade this world. To become Pillar of Cephiro will mean to leave Fahren forever, or have you forgotten the words of the Magic Knight of Wind?"

"The Pillar cannot love anything _but_ Cephiro," she continued, "Our place is in Fahren, We belong to Fahren. We cannot be responsible for Our land when Our thoughts must always remain with another."

Asuka's face softened with a gentle smile and everyone was reminded of the late queen. "We love Fahren and everyone in it. To think of another before Our own kingdom would be wrong."

It was in that moment Chang'an understood everything he hadn't tried to see. This, he realized, was the true face of their Princess. The compassion, the strength, the depth of knowledge within her eyes; _this_ was their Princess. The girl they had known, the girl they'd seen was no more than an act.

For so long, she had kept herself hidden, and yet now here she stood, stronger than anyone in Fahren.

Chang'an knew he had to make a choice; one that could either help or harm. But he didn't even need to think.

He was as sure of his decision as the Princess was of hers.

"What would you like us to do, Princess?" The Regent of Fahren asked.

"Please ready the Dreamchild for continued advance into Cephiro," Asuka told him. "Eagle Vision of Autozam has asked Us to step aside, but We will not. We will stand with Cephiro, we will discover what became of the previous Pillar and offer them our aid in apology for our forceful invasion into their world."

"But, Princess, the Council—" another guard tried to speak.

"But nothing!" SsangYong said loudly. "Your Princess has spoken, will you go against her? Will you force Fahren into war that we would surely lose?"

Silence rung throughout the chamber.

"I will follow you, Milady," Chang'an stood.

"So will I," a handmaiden stood.

"And I."

"I will support the Princess!"

Slowly, one by one, everyone in the chamber stood and voiced their support of the Princess.

"LONG LIVE CROWN PRINCESS ASUKA!"

Overwhelmed by the sheer amount of support, Asuka couldn't stop the tears that finally cascaded down her pale cheeks. Never had she felt so loved by her people as she did in this moment. "Thank you," she whispered, accepting the handkerchief offered by SsangYong. "Thank you so much!"

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	30. The Determination of Twin Princesses

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Okay, so this chapter definitely turned out shorter than the one before, but I guess its because neither Tata nor Tatra needed anything added to them.

In the anime, there's the running gag about Tata being chided by Tatra for her Osaka accent, but try as I might, I couldn't fit it in. Whenever I did, the sentence just ended up making no sense or very little sense however much I tweaked and rewrote, so I just cut it out completely …

Let's see, the chapter is going to have more dialogue in it, for one thing. There wasn't a lot I could think of to add to the characters of Tata and Tatra. Tata is a headstrong princess with a short fuse, but cares a lot about her kingdom. Tatra acts like an airhead more often than not, but is wiser than she seems.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-The Determination of Twin Princesses-Oo**

"How dare he?!" Princess Tata of Chizeta raged. "Who does he think he is? Does he think we will leave because he told us to? We promised mother and father that we would be victorious in claiming territory for Chizeta! We will go to Cephiro, and that's final!"

"At the risk of being labeled as invaders?" Princess Tatra interjected softly.

Tata flinched and turned away from her sister with a huff.

"Such resolve! Why I've never seen you so excited! Not even during lessons!" Tatra sipped her tea with a clam smile. "Shall I explore your thoughts, Baby Sister?"

"Even if we do as the Commander asks, they will still invade," the older princess spoke. "With such a polluted atmosphere, Autozam is in a dire situation and Cephiro, for them, may be its only hope. Whether they want the power of Cephiro's Pillar or the land itself, either way this world will be plunged into war."

Tata looked over her shoulder at her sister.

"The world of Cephiro is a world of magic where the strength of Will rules," the elder sister said grimly. "But having lived in peace, safe from all who would harm their world, they have no army. Now more than ever, as this world continues to crumble a little more each day. Even with the help of the Magic Knights, their victory would be uncertain."

"So," Tatra concluded, "You have decided that you will fight Autozam in their stead."

The younger princess flushed bright red, realizing her sister saw through her. She opened her mouth, presumably to let loose a scathing retort, only to release a strangled sort of squeak instead.

Mortified, Tata's face cycled through every shade of red known and unknown.

Tatra giggled.

"I know you, my dear Tata," she told her younger sister. "Your heart is much bigger than most assume. If you had the choice, you would speak with the people of Cephiro. If they refused our wish to expand our territory…then you would let the matter rest."

It was true, Tata inwardly agreed. To fight when there was no need to…nothing was worth that.

Tatra's face turned grim. "But Autozam…they are not like that, Tata. Blood may be shed."

Tata's face mirrored her sister's, knowing the statement to be true. "But what about Mother and Father? Our promise?"

Before they'd left for Cephiro, the twin princesses had promised their parents they would try to secure territory for Chizeta. Tata wanted nothing more than to fulfill that promise, to make their parents and their people happy. She knew her sister felt the same, but then, with Tatra, nothing was ever as clear as it was unclear.

Tatra was calm as she sipped her tea.

"Tata, do you remember what the Magic Knight, Umi, told us in the little time she had been here?" she asked finally.

Tata nodded.

"She had no wish to fight, only to know why we were advancing into Cephiro," Tatra reminded her.

"She didn't want to fight unless there was a reason for her to," Tata realized. "She said she didn't want to cause anymore grief…what did she mean by that?"

"Cephiro has always been shrouded in mystery, even in texts," Tatra explained. "We know of how this world functions, but very little was ever said about the Mashin. The Mashin were only spoken of as protectors, nothing more, nothing less. But what were they protecting?"

Tata was silent.

"Could they have been protecting the Pillar? The people?" the elder princess continued. "Or perhaps were they meant to protect Cephiro from itself? Umi told us the previous Pillar _had_ to die, because she fell in love."

The younger princess caught the dark tone her sister's voice took on. Her eyes widened in realization. "You don't mean—?"

"Umi," Tata said quietly. "She looked much younger than I expected of a Magic Knight…"

"The disappearance of the previous Pillar was never discussed," Tatra frowned. "It is possible that they…"

Both sisters fell into a tense silence.

"Tatra-neesama?" Tata finally asked after a few moments. "What do you want to do?"

Tatra smiled as she pulled her sister into a hug. "You're a very good girl, Tata! I only want my darling little sister to be happy! As for our promise, we promised to _try_ and we did, now we will do what we can to _help_." She pulled back and beckoned the guards stationed around the room. "Take your positions and be ready! The Bravada will engage with the NSX of Autozam!"

With a quick salute and bow, the guards went off to prepare for the coming battle.

"Tatra-neesama…"

"We must be cautious," the elder princess warned, "Autozam's Commander is formidable."

Tata agreed. "He had the mental strength and will to pierce not only our road, but that of Fahren's…"

"That isn't all, Tata," Tatra shook her head. "Listen well and remember this, little sister: One who is willing to die is strong. And the only one who can prevail against such a person, is one who knows their own worth."

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	31. Worries and Antics Aboard the NSX

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: In hindsight, I didn't actually plan for this to have even a lick of humour, but I guess it somehow managed to worm in? Either way, I don't think this turned out as bad as I thought it did!

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Worries and Antics Aboard the NSX-Oo**

"It's almost time," Geo announced. "Just a few minutes left."

"Eagle, are you sure about this?" Zazu asked, looking up from his screen. "Forcing them to make a decision?"

"It's the only way to know who I'll be fighting, Zazu," Eagle told the younger boy. "The Magic Knights have already declared themselves obstacles to my goal; I need to know who else will stand in my way of reaching the Road to the Pillar."

The cockpit was quiet.

"Oi, Zazu!" Geo called out to the younger mechanic. "Why don't you go and check on the Fighter Mechs? I made some adjustments to their programs and I need to know if they'll work out right in battle. I'll even throw in a real good bottle of wine!"

Brown eyes sparked with excitement at the thought of liquor. "You got it!" he whooped as he sped out to the hangar.

"So," Geo started, once he made sure Zazu was nowhere near the cockpit, "What's really bugging you?"

Eagle said nothing as he placed his headset over his eyes.

"Is it that you would have to fight Lantis?" the spiky-haired Sub-Commander asked. He smirked when his friend flinched, knowing he hit the topic right on the head. "Eagle, you knew from the beginning that you would have to fight Lantis. After all, this _is_ his home."

A few beats passed before Eagle finally spoke. "I only wish there were an easier way to go about all this. I knew I would have to fight Lantis, I knew I could possibly damage the lives of everyone in Cephiro, but becoming the Pillar is the only way—and the Road to the Pillar hasn't shown itself yet, and I…"

Geo's eyes narrowed as the Commander of the NSX trailed off. He knew, even before they led their fleet into Cephiro, that Eagle wasn't well. How ill he was, Geo didn't know. He only knew that whatever was happening with Eagle, it only grew worse the more mental energy he expended.

 _'Could he be—?'_ Geo thought worriedly. He couldn't check anything now, but the moment Eagle left to rest, Geo vowed to check on Eagle's stats. Something was wrong and if his friend wouldn't tell him what was happening, then he would find out on his own.

"There's something you're not telling me," the Sub-Commander deadpanned. "Spit it out."

Eagle flushed.

Geo blinked.

And blinked.

 _And blinked_.

Was he seeing what he thought he was seeing? Eagle Vision, the best fighter on Autozam, Commander of the NSX, and pilot of the FTO was _blushing_?

Geo grinned. Now _this_ was sure to bring out some juicy blackmail material! "Eagle~" he sing-songed, "Come on! I know you want to tell Uncle Geo all about it!"

"No."

"Eagle—"

"No!"

"I'll give you wine!" It was apparent that Geo thought bribery might work better than needling the young man.

"I'm not Zazu, and the answer's still no!"

"How about sweets? I'll even let you into my secret stash!"

"No! And I already know where your stash is, so it's not much of a secret, now is it?"

"Wait what? Eagle Vision, you tell me right no—"

"I won't tell you about her!" Eagle finally shouted.

The spiky-haired man smirked. "Her, huh?"

The blonde snapped his mouth shut, flushing harder.

"You liiiiiiike somebody!" Geo cackled. "How could you keep this from me, you bag of bolts!"

The blonde-haired Commander groaned in embarrassment.

Once Geo was done rolling about the floor and the laughter just nearly out of his system, he walked over to his friend. "Hey, it's okay, you know," he chuckled, "Everybody likes someone sometime in their life."

"Except, I probably _shouldn't_ like her," Eagle grumbled, face still red, though not as it was before.

"Why not?" Geo leaned against his friend's chair.

"She is a Magic Knight, she weilds the red Mashin," the blonde revealed. "I'm her enemy, just as she's mine. I shouldn't like her, but—"

"But?" Geo parroted.

"But there's something about her that just draws me to her," he confessed. "Every time I try not thinking about her, I inevitably end up doing just that! Every time I try to think of her as my enemy, I can't! From the moment she entered my road…she's all I can think about…"

The Geo looked at his forlorn friend contemplatively. "No one said you couldn't like her, you know? You can't just control your heart like it's a computer and stop it from feeling. We live in a fully mechanized world, Eagle; emotions aren't always taken into account. If you really feel lost, just follow your heart."

"Geo…" amber eyes looked at his friend.

 _PING! PING!_

Both men turned to look at their screens and their faces fell into serious expressions. A quick thumping was heard from the hall as Zazu stormed into the cockpit. "I-I," he panted, "I h-heard the comm-link!"

"It's them," Geo confirmed.

"Patch them through," Eagle ordered.

Two separate feeds were pulled up side-by-side on the holo-monitor. On one, Princess Asuka's face fizzled into sight and on the other were the faces of Princess Tatra and Tata. "Have you made your decision?"

"We will go to Cephiro," Asuka announced.

"And so will we," Tata and Tatra answered together.

"So be it," Eagle's eyes narrowed.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	32. Fear

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: BAH! Spring Break my foot! I wasn't able to get a single thing updated! For some reason, uploading chapters, wasn't working well for me until now. I don't quite understand what was happening myself, but I'm just happy I can actually upload chapters again. Added to that, I just had lots going on, especially at work, so yeah.

Now, since I'm meshing the anime and the manga, this is where the timeline becomes tricky. I have the whole Road to the Pillar deal going, but I also have Debonair working in the background. As far as she goes, there's only been one actual instance of her existence here in my story and plotline. She's literally been kept as a background character rather than a main antagonist at this time.

From here, I'm going to try and bring out to the foreground of the story and bring her in more. A little at a time until it's clear that she's there. Don't actually know how many chapters that will take, but as an advance warning, just know that the end of the manga/anime won't be for a bit.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-Fear-Oo**

"Such delicious fear! Such wondrous despair!" a dark sigh of ecstasy whispered on the wind. "Just a little more, my pets…"

* * *

-Crystal Palace-

"The dark presence grows stronger," Lantis spoke in a low tone.

Clef nodded grimly. "I've noticed. But there isn't anything I can do when I cannot find the source! If this Debonair character is here in Cephiro, why hasn't she shown herself? What is she after?"

Lantis couldn't answer, choosing instead to keep silent.

 ** _~AMatchOfTwoSouls~_**

"The smallest things give joy to them now…" Fuu said softly, watching the children play in the garden.

"It's because there is more fear for our world," Ferio answered, coming to sit beside her. "Everyday Cephiro crumbles just a bit more, and the fear escalates. Only a few children can ever muster the ability to laugh and smile in times like these anymore."

Fuu nodded understandingly, a frown spreading over her lips. "Ferio?"

"Hm?" the green-haired prince looked at her. "Is something wrong, Fuu?"

"What do you think will happen?" she asked quietly. "We've held off the three invading countries, and yet there's another enemy we know nothing about. What can we do against something we know nothing about?"

The Prince of Cephiro grimaced. "We hope," he said, having no other answer to give.

 ** _~AMatchOfTwoSouls~_**

"Ascot," Umi looked at the taller mage, "How many baskets are we supposed to fill again?" She looked down at the ten giant baskets of fruit and sweat-dropped.

Ascot looked at their bounty and flushed. "We might have gone a little too far…" He looked up at his creature friend and motioned for him to set the both of them down. "This will be enough to last our people for a long while yet, I think."

Umi looked up at the trees and sighed.

"Umi?"

"Do you think this world needs a Pillar?" she asked softly. "Just look at what you have here. Plants, animals, life; all without the existence of a Pillar."

Ascot was silent for a moment. "If you asked me this before She passed on, I'd have said 'yes' in a heartbeat. Now…Our world is surviving without a Pillar, so no, I don't want a new Pillar."

He pursed his lips. "But this world is falling apart. Princess Emeraude had stopped invaders and kept this land healthy and intact as the Pillar. In the end, it won't matter what I think, Cephiro is dying and only a Pillar can stop it."

"But where will that leave the Pillar?" Umi blurted out. "Alone. Surrounded but never seen. Loved, but never being able to love in return! Emeraude-hime loved Cephiro, but she was human! She fell in love and couldn't give her entire heart to this land because she'd already given it to someone else!"

Umi brushed off the tears that trailed over her cheeks. "I know a Pillar was what made this world what it was, Ascot. But think about it: Was Cephiro ever _truly_ beautiful?"

The auburn-haired mage said nothing as he pulled the Knight of Water in into a warm embrace.

 ** _~AMatchOfTwoSouls~_**

Hikaru sat by the window in her room, staring out into the barren, rocky land that was now Cephiro. Pulling her knees to her chest, she sighed as she rested her chin on them.

"Puu?" Hikaru looked up and saw Mokona bouncing happily towards her. With a small smile, she reached out and caught the fluffy, white creature. "Mokona! What are you doing here?"

"Puu~!" long ears waggled up and down as Mokona snuggled into the redhead.

Hikaru let loose a brief giggle. She was silent for a moment. "Mokona, what do you think Debonair wants? She tried to trick me, but I don't understand why… And Eagle. Why does he want to be the Pillar? Wh—AH!"

A great tremor shook the castle.

"What was—" Hikaru caught sight of a familiar airship hovering outside of the castle, a scant few miles away.

"Autozam…"

* * *

A chuckle as obsidian eyes shone with malicious intent. "Finally…"

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


	33. The Clash of Worlds

I do not own InuYasha or Magic Knight Rayearth in any way, shape or form!

* * *

Speech Key:

"The" – Oral/Normal Speech

 _'The'_ – _Thoughts_

* * *

 ** _PLEASE_** **READ BEFORE BEGINNING CHAPTER!**

AN: Okay, so the chapter looks and sounds a bit wonky from my angle, but then whether or not it sounds well will depend on you readers. But yay! I got another one up! Though, this did turn out much longer than I thought it would…

Now, I'm still working on writing out battle scenes, so please bear with me! I might be able to picture how I want the battle to look, but putting it into words was never a strength of mine. I always either say too much or too little. Case in point with the rest of my fics. So I'm going to do my best here, and hopefully I don't end up sound like someone on a sugar high spitting out everything as quick as lightning!

This chapter…the timeline in the manga was _extremely_ condensed and honestly, if it weren't for a few details here and there, it would've seemed like everything happened quickly in the span of a few days or even less. The anime was a little better with showcasing time movement, but it still feels like in some instances that everything is happening right after each other.

The battle between Chizeta, Autozam, and Fahren, took place a little over a fourth of the way into the third volume, it seems. And right after that, the Road to the Pillar opened up. A little too quick for my tastes, but it's still a favourite of mine as far as series goes, so I deal.

I also know that there have been questions on when Kagome will meet Lantis. The answer: Not for a while. She will meet him and that will be when everything begins to fall into place. It's true that I could have just as easily started off in an AU and placed Kagome in a position to meet Lantis sooner. But, in order for this story work as I want it to (not that I planned it to be as it's turned out), Kagome's appearances won't be so much until the end of MKRII. The end is drawing near, but depending on how I section off the chapters and how I organize my writing, it's difficult to say.

Anyway, I hope you all like this and please remember to review, but if you've nothing polite to say then don't bother saying anything at all!

* * *

 **~A Match of Two Souls~**

 **oO-The Clash of Worlds-Oo**

"What's going on?" Hikaru ran into the throne room. "I saw Autozam's ship outside!"

"Chizeta and Fahren have ventured further into Cephiro as well," Lafarga informed her. "From what I can tell, they are fighting Autozam, but for what reason, I don't know."

Fuu's expression turned pensive. "Do you think—?" She gasped, cutting herself off.

"What?" Umi asked worriedly. "Fuu? What are you thinking about?"

The Knight of Wind looked worried. "Clef-san," she addressed the mage, "To be a candidate for the Pillar, a Road is created of mental energy to venture through Cephiro and find the Road to the Pillar, correct?"

The lavender-haired man nodded. "Being a land where the Will determines strength, an outsider can travel through Cephiro should they wish for it hard enough. A Road, however, declares the intent to find the Road to the Pillar. How they find it, or where it is, I don't know." He grimaced. "If there was one person who would know, it would have be Princess Emeraude, but she never spoke of it to me. There was much she never confided in me."

Fuu looked stricken. "Fuu?" Ferio prompted. "Fuu, what's wrong?"

The green-eyed blonde took a deep breath. "Chizeta and Fahren have declared themselves as Candidates for the Pillar, just as Autozam. But of the three who has been the most persisitent?"

Realization descended upon the chamber.

"Autozam," Caldina breathed out. "Those guys were gutsy enough to cut through Fahren and Chizeta's Roads. So maybe…"

"This is their declaration," Lantis finished. "Autozam seeks to be the _only_ Candidate for the Pillar. Eliminating the competition would only make it simpler in their eyes to find the Road to the Pillar."

"They're going to fight?" Hikaru asked, watching the projection Clef had conjured onto the ceiling.

"Well, they're definitely not tossing fruit!" Primera huffed.

"They're too close to the castle," Umi observed, biting her lip. "Even if they're not directly in front of us, they're still close enough that the castle might get caught up in their brawl."

Lafarga and Lantis nodded in agreement.

"Then we'll go," Hikaru declared. "We said we would protect Cephiro, and right now, this castle and the people in it are the only things left of Cephiro."

"She's right," said the Knight of Water.

"We will protect Cephiro with everything we have," Fuu spoke with determination ringing strong in her voice.

"Rayearth!"

"Windam!"

"Selece!"

The chamber watched as the three teens were engulfed in the magic of their element before disappearing with nary a sound.

 _'Good luck, Young Women from Another World,'_ Clef thought.

* * *

An ecstatic laugh echoed on the wind. "That's it, my pet! Go and show these pathetic imbeciles what true fear is!"

Obsidian eyes focused on the NSX and crinkled with a manic sort of joy. "Find what belongs to me!"

* * *

-NSX-

"Fire Ragna Cannons at 50%," Eagle commanded.

"Roger!" a crew member responded. "Firing Ragna Cannon!"

 ** _BA-BOOM!_**

Geo looked up from his screen to the sandy-blonde. "You're sure about this, Eagle?"

The Autozam Commander pursed his lips and nodded. He turned to a small comm-screen and pulled up a link to the docking bay. "Zazu," he greeted, "Is the FTO ready to go?"

 _'Wait, what?!'_ chocolate eyes widened and snapped up to look at Eagle. _'When did he plan_ this _?'_

"You bet!" Zazu grinned and shot a thumbs-up to the commander.

"Thanks," Eagle smiled. "Continue assault on the Bravada and DreamChild," he ordered the rest of the crew. "Keep our shields up and avoid using the Ragna Cannon until the last possible moment. Use everything else in our arsenal, but I want the Roads of Chizeta and Fahren collapsed! As my second, Geo has full control of the situation from now and until I come back."

"Roger!" everyone saluted.

"Oi!" Geo shouted. "Oi, Eagle! Eagle!" He ran out of the room and grabbed his friend's arm before he could reach the docking bay. "What the heck? When did you plan this? You agreed to a battle with Fahren and Chizeta, not a single-man assault on Cephiro!"

"I have to go, Geo," Eagle told him. "There is something I need to find. I just need you to give me cover as I leave."

"What?" the spiky-haired man asked. "What's so important that you have to go behind everyone's backs?" He forced the blonde to turn to him when he continued having his back turned. "Look at me!"

Geo stifled a gasp when he looked into the clouded amber eyes. "Eagle?"

"I need to go," the sandy-blonde said, elbowing his friend into letting him go. The Commander of the NSX fled to the docking bay, leaving behind a worried Geo.

 _'What's going on?'_

* * *

-DreamChild-

"Increase shields to maximum capacity!" Asuka ordered. "Redirect power from the boosters if needed! I don't want Autozam breaching our defenses!"

"Yes, Princess!" the crew replied in tandem.

Chang'an and SsangYong watched on with pride. The former was proud of the little princess for proving him and everyone this ship wrong. Yes, she would make a fine ruler one day. The latter was just happy his princess no longer had to hide behind a façade. She could finally be herself.

"SsangYong," she turned to the boy, "Please bring a brush, ink, and paper!"

"Lady Asuka!" Chang'an groused. "Surely you will not—"

"You may believe We are not ready, Chang'an," Asuka looked at him, "but this is war. We do not have the luxury of only using what little you may think is appropriate for Us. We have made Our descision, and We shall honour it with everything We can spare."

This stopped the Regent in his tracks. It was true that having made the decision, it was only right to follow through whole-heartedly. And Autozam, it seemed, was not holding back, either. There was one thing, however. "What about Chizeta, My Lady?"

Violet eyes lowered in thought for but a moment. "They seem to be no threat to _us_. All attacks will be focused on the NSX of Autozam. We will not engage the Bravada unless their sights turn to us." Her eyes shifted to the Chákàn. "I believe those Twin Princesses are of the same opinion as Us."

"Here, Lady Asuka!" SsangYong dashed into the room. His arms full with a blank scroll, a single brush and a shallow inkwell. He laid out the items on the ground before his princess and stood back at her side.

"Thank you, SsangYong," Asuka smiled at her friend and servant. Face falling into a determined expression, she picked up the brush, dipped it into the well, and began painting on the scroll.

"Tear through the scroll!" Asuka chanted, hands forming symbols all the while. "Our secret art! Let the Dragon Rise from the Picture!" The scroll flashed as the image lifted off the page and disappeared from view.

"Well," Chang'an said as he, SsangYong, and Asuka looked into the Chákàn, "At least it actually is a dragon this time." They watched a dragon tear through a cloud, its shape mirroring that of the DreamChild.

"Hm," Asuka mused, "We liked the Giant SsangYong much nicer…"

The young boy only flushed red in response.

* * *

-Bravada-

"Ohh, look!" Tatra cooed. She pointed to the image of Fahren's dragon in the mirrored platform beneath their balcony. "She made a dragon this time!"

"Neesama!" Tata growled. "This is no time to play! We must counter Autozam's attacks!"

"And Fahren?" Tatra gestured to the image of the created dragon again. "What will we do about them?"

Tata puffed out her cheeks, flushing. "…they don't look like they're planning on attacking us. They're focusing more on Autozam."

"So…?" the elder princess prompted, smiling.

"So," the younger sighed, "it's possible we're both fighting for the same thing: To protect Cephiro." She huffed. "We won't attack the DreamChild, but the moment that little illusion princess starts using her stuff on us, I'm giving her a dose of Djinn!"

"I would expect nothing less from my darling baby sister," Tatra crushed her younger sister to her chest, loving on her mercilessly.

"Nee—Neesama!" Tata struggled out of her older sister's embrace. "Why don't we just summon our Djinn now?"

"Oh!" Tata dropped her sister to clap her hands together gleefully. "That sounds like a delightful idea!"

 _'That sister of mine!'_ Tatra rubbed her backside as she glowered at her elder sibling.

Clasping their hands, standing back to back, the sister chanted, "Come to me my Guardian Spirit! My Djinn!"

A whirl of magic circled their forms before diving into the mirrored platform with a **_ZING_**!

* * *

"They're definitely getting serious," Umi observed, watching Fahren's dragon and Chizeta's Djinn take shape and begin attacking the NSX in tandem.

"But do you notice," Fuu said as they flew their Mashin towards the battle, "That both Chizeta and Fahren are focusing solely on Autozam, and not each other?"

"It's almost like they're trying to keep Autozam away from the palace," Hikaru's eyes shifted from each ship to the directions the attacks took. "Could Chizeta and Fahren be trying to help us?"

"Anything is possible," Umi shrugged. "So let's give 'em a hand! Water Dragon!" she summoned her watery beast and launched it at Autozam's battleship.

"Guardian Wind!" Fuu cast a windy barrier over the Barvada to prevent Autozam's missiles from making contact.

"Fire Arrow!" Hikaru shot her fiery projectile at the ship, but to no avail as its shield repelled it.

Suddenly, Autozam's missile hatches opened and released one projectile each. But instead of being targeted at either the Bravada, the Mashin, or the DreamChild, they collided with each other.

 ** _BOOM!_**

A bright light filled the area, blinding everyone.

No one noticed the tiny streak of light that was the FTO zipping towards the palace.

 ** _~AMatchOfTwoSouls~_**

"The barrier encompasses the entire structure," Eagle murmured, piloting the mech around the shield erected around the Crystal Palace. "It seems to continue below ground as well," he looked at the scan results on his monitor.

"But if all compiled data is applied, the weakest point of the barrier would be," amber eyes watched the image narrow down to a lower section of the centermost pillar, "Here."

 _'Forgive me, Lantis,'_ Eagle took a deep breath. He tightened his hands over the controls and focused them on his calculated target. He aimed his blasters and began firing of at the designated spot.

* * *

-Crystal Palace; Throne Room-

Clef slumped the floor, clutching his head in pain.

"Guru Clef!" Lafarga and Presea rushed over to the fallen mage. "What's happened?" he asked.

"The barrier is being attacked," Clef managed to get out. "If this keeps up, I won't be able to hold it for much longer!" he twitched his fingers and looked up at the ceiling. The image focused on the castle, more specifically, where the FTO was blasting the barrier around the castle.

 _'Eagle,'_ the cobalt eyes of Cephiro's only Cail narrowed.

"What about the girls?" Caldina asked. "Can't we get 'em to help?"

"A distraction," Lantis spoke. "While Autozam is keeping to its declaration, they're also using it as a distraction. That Mech belongs to the Commander of the NSX. The question is: Why come here when the battle is out there?"

Clef flinched.

"Guru Clef," Lantis knelt down before the slumped form of the lavender-haired man, "Is there something you've not told us?"

At this, everyone's eyes turned to the mage. "Clef?" Presea asked. "Is this true? Have you kept something from us?"

"I—" Clef was cut off by another wave of pain, this one larger than the first. "The…barrier…is broken…" he turned his teal eyes onto Lantis' form. "Go…hidden…chamber…below gardens…"

The dark-haired swordsman nodded and ran off.

 _'Hikaru!'_ Clef reached out with the last of his strength.

* * *

 _Adieu,_

 _TsukiyoTenshi_


End file.
